FROM    THE    LIBRARY    OF 


REV.    LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON.   D.  D. 


BEQUEATHED    BY    HIM    TO 


THE   LIBRARY   OF 


PRINCETON   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


Division 


THE  LIVES       (^OCT   6   1931 


EMINENT  AMERICAN    EVANGELISTS 

DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY 

AND 

IRA  DAVID  SANKEY, 

TOGETHER  WITH 

AN  ACCOUNT   OF   THEIR    LABORS  IN   GREAT   BRITAIN 
AND  AMERICA; 

AND  ALSO  A   SKETCH    OF  THE  LIVES  OF 

PHILIP  P.  BLISS  AND  EBEN  TOUPJEE. 

BY    THE 

REV.    ELIAS   NASON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  LIFE  OF  HENRY  WILSON,"  "  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  SUMNER,"  ETC. 


He  gave  some,  apostles ; 
9hets ; 


and  some,  prophets;  and  some,  evangelists." 

St.  Paul. 

"  I  have  decided  to  give  to  God  all  my  time." 

D wight  Lyman  Moody. 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED    BY  B.   B.   RUSSELL,   55    CORNHILL. 

PHILADELPHIA :   QUAKER-CITY  PUBLISHING-HOUSE. 

DETROIT:  R.  D.  S.  TYLER  &  CO.     CHICAGO:  H.  S.  BEEBE  &  CO. 

SAN  FRANCISCO:  A.  L.  BANCROFT  &  CO. 

PORTLAND:  JOHN  RUSSELL. 

1877. 


Copyright. 
Br  B.  B.  RUSSELL. 

1877. 


Stereotyped  and  printed  by 

Rand,  Avery,  and  Company, 

Hf  Franklin  Street, 

Boston. 


PKEFAOE. 


One  of  the  most  remarkable  steps  in  the  progress  of 
Christianity  to  be  recorded  during  this  present  age  is,  that 
two  3*oung  men,  of  but  limited  education,  have  arisen  from 
amongst  the  people,  and  by  dedicating  themselves  soleh* 
to  the  service  of  God,  and  proclaiming  his  truth  in  the 
simplicity  of  faith,  have  succeeded,  both  in  Great  Britain  as 
well  as  in  America,  in  awakening  the  attention  of  millions, 
not  only  of  the  illiterate,  but  also  of  the  intelligent,  to  the 
reality  of  religion,  and  to  an  aspiration  for  a  higher  and  a 
holier  life.  Such  was  the  aim  and  such  is  the  result  of  the 
labors  of  the  two  evangelists,  D wight  Lyman  Mood}'  and 
Ira  David  Sankey,  who  are  now  heralding,  with  a  success 
far  greater  than  that  of  the  Wesley s  or  of  George  Whitefield, 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  their  fellow-men.  Without 
learning,  without  pretension,  without  ordination  even,  these 
two  earnest  men,  with  an  eye  single  to  the  Master's  service, 
move  the  minds  of  the  multitudes,  as  the  winds  the  waves 
of  the  ocean,  and  send  forth  an  influence  that  reaches  round 
and  round  the  globe. 

Such  grand  results,  from  means  so  simple,  are  surprising. 
They  confound  the  world's  philosophy,  and  can  be  inter- 
preted only  by  the  prophet's  declaration,  "  Not  by  might, 
nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.' ' 

3 


4  PREFACE. 

Their  glorious  work  is  moving  on.  The  sermons  of  Mr. 
Mood}*,  the  songs  of  Mr.  Sankey,  who  are  in  labor,  as  in 
person,  counterparts  of  each  other,  still  bend  the  hearts  of 
the  high,  the  low,  the  rich,  the  poor,  the  learned,  and  the 
ignorant,  to  declare  for  Jesus.  Vast  tabernacles  are  raised 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  myriads  who  crowd  to  hear 
them  ;  the  preachers  sit  as  willing  listeners  at  their  feet ; 
the  secular  press  proclaims  in  different  tongues  their  unstud- 
ied utterances  ;  and  souls  unnumbered  are  rejoicing  in  the 
light  and  hope  such  earnest  words  and  simple  songs  have 
brought  to  them. 

But  who  are  these  two  gifted  men  ?  From  what  Xazareths 
did  the}'  spring  ?  On  what  celestial  nutriment  have  they  fed  ? 
What  are  their  records  and  their  precedents  ?  How  exten- 
sive and  effectual  have  been  their  labors  ?  What  are  their 
means  and  methods  in  evangelizing?  what  their  aims,  their 
forces,  characters?     What  is  the  secret  of  their  success? 

Such  questions  come  up  naturally  to  ever}'  mind  regarding 
them.  Such  and  similar  questions  it  will  be  the  writer's  aim 
to  answer.  His  means  for  doing  this  arise  in  part  from 
having  been  in  England  during  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey' s 
labors  there,  from  personal  observation  of  their  great  work 
here,  and  from  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  many  minis- 
ters and  others  who  have  labored  with  these  two  evangelists. 

Over  the  several  excellent  works  now  written  on  this 
subject,  this  perhaps  may  claim  the  advantage  of  having  a 
genealogy  of  the  Moody  and  Holton  families,  of  giving  an 
account  of  the  power  of  music  in  revivals  of  religion,  and 
also  of  extending  the  record  of  the  labors  of  these  co-work- 
ers in  the  service  of  the  Lord  down  to  the  present  time. 


PREFACE.  6 

Acknowledgments  are  due  to  the  Rev.  George  F.  Pente- 
cost, for  an  account  of  the  labors  of  the  evangelists  in 
Chicago  ;  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  W.  F.  Mallalieu,  for  a  part  of  the 
record  of  their  work  in  Great  Britain ;  to  William  Blake 
Trask,  Esq.,  for  compiling  the  genealogy  of  the  Moody  and 
Holton  families;  and  to  other  gentlemen  who  have  kindly 
assisted  the  writer  in  the  preparation  of  this  volume. 

With  the  hope  and  prayer  that  God  may  use  it  for  the 
advancement  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  it  is  now  respect- 
fully presented  to  the  public. 

Boston,  February,  1877. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  MOODY  AND  HOLTON  FAMILIES. 


Lineage  of  the  Moodys  and  the  Holtons.  —  Description  of  Northfield.  —  The 
Aborigines.- — The  House  in  which  D.  L.  Moody  was  horn. — Mr.  Edwin 
Moody.  —  His  Death.  —  Impression  on  his  Son.  —  Mrs.  Moody's  Character 
and  Trials.  —  Her  Pastor.  —  Traits  of  D.  L.  Moody  in  Boyhood.  —  A  Trial  to 
Mr.  Everett.  —  Love  for  his  Mother.  —  His  First  Prayer.  —  His  Work  on  the 
Farm.  — His  Boyish  Pranks.  — He  attempts  to  buy  a  Yoke  of  Oxen.  —  His 
Oldest  Brother  leaves  Home.  —  Anxiety  of  the  Family.  —  Early  Education. 
—  Influences  under  which  Young  Moody's  Character  was  developed.  — The 
Remark  of  an  Old  Man.  —  The  Story  of  a  Money-loving  Farmer 17 


CHAPTER  H. 
MB.  MOODY  IN  BOSTON  AND  CHICAGO. 

Young  Moody  leaves  School.  —  A  Clerk  in  his  Uncle  Holton's  Store.  —  Condi- 
tions on  which  he  entered  it.  —  He  attends  Mount  Vernon  Church  and 
Sabbath  School.  —  His  Personal  Appearance  at  this  Time.  —  Letter  from 
Home.  — He  is  visited  by  Mr.  Kimball,  and  converted.  — How  he  repays  Mr. 
Kimball  for  his  Kindness.  —  Opposition  to  his  Speaking  in  the  Meetings.  — 
He  is  examined  and  admitted  into  Dr.  Kirk's  Church.  —  Deacon  Palmer  at 
Exeter  Hall  in  London.  —  Dr.  Kirk's  Opinion.  —  Young  Moody  removes  to 
Chicago.  —  The  Advantages  he  derived  from  living  in  Boston.  —  His  Opinion 
of  the  City.  —  He  joins  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Roy's  Church.  —  Engages  in  Recruiting- 
Service  for  the  Sabbath  School 41 


CHAPTER  in. 

MISSION-SCHOOL  AND  ABMY  WORK. 

Mr.  Moody's  Study  of  the  Bible.  —  His  Mission.  —  His  Business  Relations.  — 
His  School  at  the  Rookery.  —  His  Method  of  managing  it.  —  Description  of 
the  School.  —  Mr.  Reynolds's  Opinion.  —  Recruiting  for  Pupils.  —  Removal  to 

7 


CONTEXTS. 


PAGE 

the  Hall  of  North  Market.  —  J.  V.  Farwell,  Superintendent.  —  Increase  of 
th<-  School.  —Energy  of  Mr.  Moody.  — His  Character  as  a  Man  of  Business. 

—  He  pays  a  Dill  for  a  Customer.  —  He  devotes  his  "Whole  Time  to  God.  — 
His  Life  in  Danger.— All  Assault.  —  One  Idea.  —  Interview  with  Infidels. — 
Prayer  in  a  Saloon.  — A  Drunkard  saved.  —  Interview  with  Bishop  Dugran. 

—  Thanksgiving  at  the  Rookery.  —  Visit  of  Mr.  Lincoln.  —  Prayer  in  the  Cars. 

—  The  Old  Pony.  —  Mr.  Moody's  Army  Lite.  —  Marriage.  —  Answer  to  Prayer. 

—  Chapel.  —Entrance  into  Richmond G5 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MR.    KOODY  AS  A  PREACHER. 

Plan  of  Mr.  Moody's  Church.  —  His  Power  of  Endurance.  —  New  Tear's  Calls. 

—  His  Trust  in  God  for  Daily  Support.  —  President  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association. —Dedication  of  Farwell  Hall. —Ope n-Air  Meetings. — 
Prayer  of  the  Rich  Man.  — Sunday-School  Conventions.  —  Mr.  Moody  visits 
England.  —  "  Out  and  Out  for  Christ" —  How  he  prepares  a  Sermon.  —  The 
Man  at  the  Lamp-Post.  —  Farwell  Hall  Burned. — The  New  Home.  —  Mrs. 
Moody.  —  The  Bible-Readings.  —  Love.  —  The  M  I  ains  "  of  John.  —  Alliance 
with  Mr.  Sankey.  —  The  Great  Fire. —  Mr.  Moody's  Account  of  it.  —  Visit  to 
Philadelphia.  —  The  Tabernacle  erected.  —  The  Order  of  Services  held  therein. 

—  He  revisits  England 76 


CHAPTER  V. 


LABORS   L>"  GREAT  BRITAIN". 

A  Memorable  Day.  —  Why  the  Evangelists  went  to  England.  — Their  Work  at 
York. —  Sunderland.  —  Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  —  The  Promises.  —  Farewell 
to  Newcastle.  —  They  visit  Edinburgh.  —  Distrust  of  the  Scotchmen.  —  Mr. 
Moody's  Faith.  — The  Infidel  Club.  — Eagerness  of  the  People  to  hear  the 

—  Meeting  at  the  Corn  Exchange. — Tolbooth  Church.  — W. 
Prayer.  —  Farewell  Meeting  at  Arthur's  Seat  — (das-ow  visited. — Open-Air 
Meetings.  —  City  Hall.  —  Erving  Plaee  Chapel.  —  Waiting.  —  Meeting  for 
Children.  — The  Crystal  Palace.  —  Results  of  Labors.  —  A  German  Pastor. — 
Temperance.  —  Activity  of  Christians.  —  Return  to  Edinburgh. — All  S 
land  interested.  —  Perth.  —  Aberdeen.  —  Tain.  —  Huntley.  —  An  Outdoor 
ig  at  Elgin.  —  Rothesay.  —  The  Evangelists  visit  Belfast.  —  Last  Meet- 
ing in  that  City.  —  Londonderry.  —  Dublin.  —  View  of  an  Episcopalian.  —  An 
Man  converted.  — Unity  of  Sentiment. —A  Convention  of  3Iinisters 
and  Others.  —  Visit  to  Manchester.  —  Sheffield.  — Birmingham.  —Assemblies 
described.  —  Liverpool.  —  Visit  to  Loudon.  — The  City  described.—  Plan  of 
Labor.  —  Results  of  the  Revival  on  England  and  America J4 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


EVANGELISM  EN  BROOKLYN  AND  PHILADELPHIA. 

Farewell  to  England.  —  Mr.  Moody  visits  Northfield.  —  His  Bible.  —  How  he  is 
Supported.  —  His  Brother  Converted.  —  Begins  to  preach  at  Brooklyn.  —  The 
First  Meeting.  —  A  Battle-Field.  —  The  Singing  of  Mr.  Sankey.  —  Conversion 
of  an  Infidel.  — The  Interest  deepens.  —  "  Hold  the  Fort."  — How  God  for- 
gives Sin.  —  Dr.  Cuyler's  Account  of  the  "Work.  —  Meeting  of  Ministers. — 
Letters  to  Converts  abroad.  —  "  Only  Trust  Him."  —  Mr.  Moody's  Activity.  — 
Conversion  of  a  Lady.  —  Preparations  in  Philadelphia— The  old  Freight 
Depot.  —The  Opening  Service.  —The  Classes  of  People  attending.  —  How  a 
London  Lady  works  for  Christ.  —  Cause  of  the  Success  of  the  Revivalists. — 
Thanksgiving  Day. — President  Grant.  —  Midnight  "Watch-Meeting  for  Sab- 
bath-School Teachers.  —  George  H.  Stuart's  Letter.  —  Results.  —  Closing 
Words  to  Converts.  —  The  Orange-Tree.  —  Visit  to  Princeton 125 


CHAPTER  VTI. 

NEW  YORK,  AUGUSTA,  AND  CHICAGO. 

The  Hippodrome.  —  Use  of  Means. —  The  Meetings  opened.  —  Setting  Chris- 
tians at  Work.  —  Mr.  Moody's  Sermons.  —  Extract  from  a  Letter.  —  The 
Gospel.  —  Tramps. —  A  Scotchman's  Idea  of  Christ.  —  Distinguished  Men 
present.  —  Secular  Press.  —  Going  to  the  Stake.  —  Dom  Pedro.  —  Young  Con- 
verts. —  Convention.  —  Witty  Replies.  —  Music.  —  Closing  Services.  — Re- 
sults.—  An  Editor's  Opinion  of  Mr.  Moody. — Augusta,  Ga.  —  Mr.  Moody's 
New  Church  Edifice.  —  Dedication. — He  visits  Northfield.  —  Springfield. — 
Work  in  Chicago  commences.  —  The  Tabernacle.  —  Harmony  among  the 
Clergy.  — Open  Service.  — Ministers  affected.  —  Death  of  Samuel  H.  Moody. 
—  Sermon  on  the  Same.  — Inquirers.  — Interest  deepening.  —  Faithful  Sun- 
day-School Teacher.  —  Germans  interested 154 


CHAPTER  VIH. 


CONTINUATION  OF  THE  WORK  IN  CHICAGO. 

Meeting  in  Farwell  Hall.  —  A  Conversion.  —  Singular  Notions  in  Respect  to  Mr. 
Moody. —  A  Convention.  —  Great  Meetings.  —  Letter  from  a  Prisoner.  — A 
Pledge.  —  An  Incident.  —  Spread  of  the  Revival.  —  An  Appeal  to  the 
Churches.  —  Christmas. — Death  of  Mr.  Bliss  and  Wife. —Influence  of  the 
Work.  —  An  Account  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pentecost.  —  Great  Audiences  — Re- 
ports from  Churches.  —  Union  of  Christians.  —  Plan  hi  the  Work.  —  Sectarian 
Walls  demolished.  —  Christians  awakened.  —  Assurance.  —  Worldliness.  — 
An  Incident.  —  Dumb  Christians.  —  Backsliders  restored.  —  Effect  on  the 
Clergy.  —  Mr.  Moody's  Belief.  —  The  Intemperate.  —  The  Lnquiry-Room.  — 
Talk  with  a  Sceptic.  —Converts 177 


10  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  REVIVALISTS  IN  BOSTON*. 

Preparations  for  the  Revival.—  The  Tabernacle.  —  Unity  of  Sentiment.  —  Dedi- 
cation of  the  Building.  —  Obstacles  to  the  Work.  —The  Beginning.  — Luxury 
of  Doing  Good.  —  Mr.  Moody's  Aim.  —He  asks  for  Prayer.  —  His  Success.  — 
Temperance.  — Ladies'  Meeting. —  Reasons  for  Separate  Services.  —  Jericho 
and  Boston.  —  Rooms  of  Inquiry  opened.  — Spirit  of  the  Meetings.  —  An  In- 
temperate Man.  —  Days  of  Fasting. —  Ministers  at  the  Meeting. — "Faith." 

—  Praise  Meeting. —Dr.  Mallalieu  preaches  on  the  Revival.  —  Mr.  Moody's 
Belief.  —  His  Sermons  on  Heaven.  —  Story  of  Mr.  Sankey.  —Service  of  Song. 

—  Elements  of  his  Power.  —  Simple  Language.  —  Imagination.  —  Study  of  the 
Bible.  —  Earnestness.  —Naturalness.  —  Rapidity  of  Utterance. — The  Spirit 

of  God. —Mr.  Moody's  Personal  Appearance. —  Voice. —Manner 204 


LRA   D.  SANKEY. 


HIS  BIRTH,  BOYHOOD,  EDUCATION,  AND  MISSION. 

Birth.  — Education.  —  Love  of  Music.  —  Religious  Impressions.  —  Conversion. 
—  Unites  with  the  Church. —Superintendent  of  Sunday  School,  and  Class 
Leader.  —  Study  of  the  Bible.  —  Army  Life.  —  Connection  with  the  Revenue 
Service.  —  His  Character.  —  Syigs  in  Conventions.  —  President  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  —  Meets  Mr.  Moody.  —  Consents  to  labor  with 
him.  — Singing  in  Chicago.  —  His  Manner  and  Motives.  —  A  Touching  Story. 
Takes  Charge  of  the  Service  at  the  Tabernacle.  —  His  only  Hymn.  —  Visits 
Great  Britain.  —  Overcomes  Prejudice.  —  His  Singing  Popular.  —  Effects  of 
his  Music.  —  In  the  Highlands.  —  Opimon  of  an  Edinburgh  Journalist.  —  Of 
Another  Writer.  —  Popularity  of  Certain  Songs.  —  Theatre  and  Circus,  Lon- 
don.—  "Ninety  and  Nine."  —  His  Singing  at  Brooklyn;  at  Philadelphia. — 
His  Views  of  Church  Music.  —  His  Singing  at  New  York.  —  Address  at  the 
Close.  —  Gospel  Songs  No.  2.  —  Singing  in  Boston.  —  A  Prayer  for  Song.  — 
Mr.  Sankey's  Tact  and  Power.  —  Remarks  of  "'The  Inter-Ocean;"  of  Mrs. 
Barbour.  —  Mr.  Sankey's  Personal  Appearance.  —  An  Address  to  him  by  Mr. 
Caverly 233 


LIFE  OF  P.   P.  BLISS. 


THE  BIRTH  AND  EDUCATION  OF  MR.  BLISS.  —  HIS  MUSIC,  WORK,  AXD  DEATH. 

Birth  of  Mr.  Bliss.  —  Early  Taste  for  Music.  —  His  Disposition.  —  Comes  to  Chi- 
cago. —  His  Wife's  Influence  over  him.—  He  conducts  Musical  Histitutes.  — 
Effect  of  his  Singing  on  Mr.  Moody.  —  At  a  Sunday-School  Convention.  —  His 
Publications.  —  His  Connection  with  Major  Whittle.— A  Notice  of  one  of 
their  Meetings.  —  A  Letter.  — " The  Gospel  Songs."  —  Style  of  the  Music.  — 
Sources  of  his  Hymns,  —  "  Lower  Lights."  -''lam  so  glad."  —  M  Life-Boat." 


CONTENTS.  11 


PAGE 

"  More  to  follow."  —  "  Meet  me  at  the  Fountain."  —  Effects  of  hi3  Music. — 
An  Incident.  —  His  Mission.  — Mrs.  Bliss.  — The  Royalty  on  "The  Gospel 
Hymns  and  Sacred  Songs."  — "  Gospel  Hymns  No.  2."  —  "Waiting  and 
Watching."  —  Singing  at  Chautauqua  —Remarks  on  Church  Music. — A 
Letter.  —  A  Prophecy.  —  Disaster  at  Ashtabula  Bridge. — Death  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bliss. — Telegrams.  —  Letter  of  Condolence.  —  Memorial  Services  at 
Chicago.  —  Boston.  —  Notice  from  "The  Tribune."  —  Mrs.  Bliss. — Personal 
Traits  of  Mr.  Bliss.  —  His  Monument.  —  Birth  of  Dr.  Tourjee. —  Education.  • 
—  His  Praise-Meetings.  —  Conservatory.  —  Character 263 


DR.  EBEN  TOURJEE 291 


ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  MR.   MOODY. 


CHOICE    SAYINGS,   INCIDENTS,  STORIES,   AM)  ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  MR.  MOODY. 

Christ  Conquering.  —  The  Net.  —  Realities.  —  God  here. — Feeling.  —  Jesus. — 
Mysteries.  —  Knowledge.  —  Purgatory.  —  The  Blood.  —  Feeling  and  Faith.  — 
Molality.  — Consequential  People. —  The  Devil  in  Church  — Down  Grade.  — 
Thankfulness.  —  Judas.  —  Nearness  to  God.  —  Book  of  Wonders.  —  Strength. 

—  Juniper-Tree.  —  Reason  for  Faith.  —  Lost.  —  Faith.  —  Three  Steps.  —  Gari- 
baldi. —  Laziness.  — Wesley.  —  Bravery.  —  Rushlight.  —  Dead  Sea.  —  Adver- 
sity. —  Workers.  —  Missing  Stone.  —  A  Smile.  —  Conversion.  —  Roll-Call.  — 
Light.  —  Prairie  on  Fire.  —  Love.  —  Not  Me.  — Duty. —A  Lie.  —  Your  Life. 

—  Law.  —  The  Earth.  —  The  Law.  —  Man  a  Failure.  —  Chain  and  All.  —  Scar- 
let Thread.  —  A  Resolve.  —  Infidel.  —  A  Substitute.  —  The  Crown.  —  The  Sur- 
geon. —  "  Blazing."  —  The  Soul.  —  Burden-Bearer.  —  God  and  the  World.  — 
The  Shadow.  — God's  Love.  — Now. —Life-Boat.  —  Heart  and  Head.  — The 
Rescue.  — A  Lady  Converted.  — Belief.  —Norwegian  Boy.  —  The  Worm. — 
A  Want.  —  The  Bible.  —  Not  Enough  of  Them.  —  One  in  Christ.  —  Money.  — 
Higher  Up.  —  Sympathy.  —  The  Check. —  Silence  in  Heaven.  —  Eleventh 
Hour.  —  Prayer.  —  Enthusiasm.  —  A  Line.  —  A  Scotch  Woman.  —  Trust. — 
Piide.  —  The  Bible.  —  Run  upon  the  Banks 329 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Portrait  of  Mr.  Moody Frontispiece. 

Northfleld  Village  (looking  north) 22 

Northfleld  Village  (looking  south) 23 

Birthplace  of  Dwight  Lyman  Moody 26 

Mount  Vernon  Church 46 

Farewell  at  Glasgow 109 

The  Rink,  Brooklyn 128 

The  Old  Depot,  Philadelphia '.  144 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Philadelphia       .        .  152 

The  Hippodrome,  New  York 156 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Chicago        .       .       .  170 

Interior  View  of  Farwell  Hall,  Chicago        ....  172 

Interior  of  Tabernacle,  Chicago 185 

Moody  and  Sankey's  Tabernacle,  Boston 206 

Interior  View  of  Tabernacle,  Boston 208 

Portrait  of  Ira  D.  Sankey 233 

Portrait  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  P.  Bliss 263 

Portrait  of  Dr.  Eben  Tourj^e 291 

13 


LIFE  OP  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 


THE  LIFE  OP  WIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  MOODY  AND  THE  HOLTOX  FAMILIES.  —  THE  TOWN  OF  NORTH- 
FIELD,  MASS. —  THE  BOYHOOD  OF  D.  L.  MOODY. 

Lineage  of  the  Moodya  and  the  Holtons.  —  Description  of  Xorthfield.  — 
The  Aborigines. —The  House  in  which  D.  L.  Moody  was  born. — 
Mr.  Edwin  Moody. — His  Death. — Impression  on  his  Son. — Mrs. 
Moody's  Character  and  Trials.  — Her  Pastor.  — Traits  of  D.  L.  Moody 
in  Boyhood.  —  A  Trial  to  Mr.  Everett.  —  Love  for  his  Mother.  — 
His  First  Prayer.  — His  Work  on  the  Farm.  —  His  Boyish  Pranks.  — 
He  attempts  to  buy  a  Yoke  of  Oxen. —His  Oldest  Brother  leaves 
Home. — Anxiety  of  the  Family.  —  Early  Education.  — Influences 
under  which  Young  Moody's  Character  was  developed. —The  Re- 
mark of  an  Old  Man.  —  The  Story  of  a  Money-loving  Farmer. 

"What  manner  of  child  shall  this  he?"  — St.  Luke. 
"  A  mother's  love  is  next  to  God's  love."  —  D.  L.  Moody. 

The  celebrated  evangelist  Dwight  Lyman  Moody, 
who  now  has  gained  a  world-wide  reputation  as  a  herald 
of  the  gospel,  was  born  on  the  5th  day  of  February, 
1837,  in  the  beautiful  town  of  Northfield,  Franklin 
Count}T,  Mass.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Isaiah  Moody, 
was  born  in  1772  ;  went  to  Northfield  about  the  year 

17 


18  LIFE   OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

1796,  and  it  may  have  been  from  Hadley,  where  his 
brother  Jacob  lived,  before  he  removed  to  Northfield. 
The  whole  fortune  of  Isaiah,  it  is  stated,  was  "the 
horse  he  rode  on,  and  his  kit  of  tools  in  a  bag." 
He  was  a  mason  hy  trade.  He  married  Dec.  15,  1799, 
Phila,  daughter  of  Medad  Alexander,  and  died  Feb. 
20,  1835 ;  Phila  his  widow  died  Nov.  1,  1869,  aged  89. 
They  had  nine  children, — five  sons  and  four  daughters. 
Their  eldest  son  and  child,  Edwin,  was  born  in  North- 
field  Nov.  1,  1800,  and  died  there  May  28,  1841.  He 
married  Jan.  2,  1828,  Betsey,  daughter  of  Luther 
Holton.  They,  like  his  parents,  had  nine  children,  — 
seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  —  as  follows :  1,  Edwin 
J.,  born  Oct.  8,  1828,  and  died  young ;  2,  Cornelia  31., 
born  Feb.  26,  1832,  and  married  Bigelow  Walker  of 
Worcester ;  3,  George  F.,  born  June  17,  1833,  and  mar- 
ried Julia  Johnson,  (2)  Harriet  Brown ;  4,  Edwin  J"., 
born  June  26,  1834,  and  settled  in  Chicago,  111. ;  5, 
Luther  H.,  born  Aug.  27,  1835  ;  6,  Divight  Lyman,  the 
subject  of  this  memoir;  7,  Warren  L.,  born  Oct.  23, 
1838,  and  settled  at  Elmira,  N.Y. ;  8,  9,  Samuel  H. 
and  Elizabeth  C.  (twins),  born  June  24,  1841:  the  lat- 
ter married  Bryant  Washburne. 

We  have  not  been  able  to  connect  this  branch  of 
the  Moody  family  with  those  of  the  name  in  Hadley, 
though  probably  they  belong  to  it.  About  the  year 
1660,  Samuel  Moody  went  from  Hartford,  Conn.,  to 
Hadley,  where  he  died  Sept.  22,  1689.  His  widow 
Sarah  was  a  daughter  of  John  Deming  of  Wethers- 


THE  MOODY  AND   THE   HOLTON   FAMILIES.  19 

field,  Conn.,  and  died  Sept.  29,  1717.  This  Samuel  is 
supposed  to  have  been  the  only  child  of  Deacon  John 
Moody  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  who  was  son  of  George 
Moody  of  Moulton,  County  of  Suffolk,  Eng. ;  "  a  man," 
says  the  Candler  MS.,  "famous  for  his  housekeeping 
and  just  and  plain  dealing."  This  John  Moody1  came 
to  New  England  in  the  year  1633,  with  his  wife  Sarah ; 
and  settled  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  where  they  became 
members  of  the  church.  He  was  made  freeman  Nov.  5, 
1635.     Sarah,  widow  of  John,  died  at  Hartford  in  1671. 

1  The  following  is  a  verbatim  copy  from  the  Roxbury  Church  Rec- 
ords, p.  19,  in  the  handwriting  of  the  "Apostle  Eliot,"  minister  of  the 
First  Church  in  Roxbury  :  — 

"John  Moody,  he  came  to  the  Land  in  the  yeare  1633:  he  had  no 
children*— he  had  2  men  servants  y*  were  vngodly,  especially  one  of 
them,  who  in  his  passion  would  wish  himself e  in  hell :  &  vse  desperate 
words,  yet  had  a  good  measure  of  knowledge — these  2  servants  would 
goe  to  the  oister  bank  in  a  boate,  &  did,  against  the  counsell  of  theire 
governor,  where  they  lay  all  night;  &  in  the  morning  early  when  the 
tide  was  out  they  gathering  oysters,  did  vnskillfully  leave  theire  boate 
afloate  In  the  verges  of  the  chanell,  &  quickly  the  tide  carved  it  away 
so  far  in  to  the  chanell  y4  they  could  not  come  neare  it,  wch  maide  them 
cry  out  &  hollow,  but  being  very  early  &  remote  were  not  heard,  till 
the  water  had  risen  very  high  upon  them  to  the  arme  hols  as  its' 
thought,  &  then  a  man  fro  Rockbrough  meeting  house  hill  heard  them 
cry  &  call,  &  he  cryed  &  ran  wth  all  speed,  &  seing  theire  boate  swam 
to  it,  &  hasted  to  them,  but  they  were  both  so  drowned  before  any 
help  could  possibly  come,  a  dreadfull  example  of  God's  displeasure 
against  obstinate  servats. 

Sarah  Moody,  the  wife  of  John  Moody." 

*  His  son  Samuel  was  subsequently  born,  it  is  supposed,  in  Hartford,  where  the 
father  resided  as  early  as  1639,  as  the  following  from  the  Colonial  Records  of  Con- 
necticut, under  date  of  Aug.  1,  1639,  shows:  "  Jno.  Moody  had  an  attachment 
graunted  vppon  the  g[oods  of  Thomas]  Gaines,  in  the  hands  of  air.  Stoughton,  foi 
a  debt  [of  5ib  weight  of  Tobacco]."  T. 


20  LIFE   OF   DWIGIIT    LYMAN   MOODY. 

Betsey  (Holton)  Moody,  the  mother  of  Dwight 
Lyman  Moody,  was  born  in  Northfield  Feb.  5,  1805. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Luther  and  Betsey  (Hodges) 
Holton.  She  was  descended  in  the  seventh  generation 
from  William  Houlton,  who  in  1634,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  came  from  Ipswich,  County  of  Suffolk, 
Eng.,  in  the  ship  "  Francis  ;  "  was  an  original  proprie- 
tor of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  in  1654  was  of  North- 
ampton, Mass.  He  was  ordained  deacon  of  the  first 
church  in  Northampton  in  1663  ;  was  a  representative 
to  the  General  Court  five  years  from  Northampton,  and 
one  year  from  Hadley.  He  made  the  first  motion  in 
town-meeting  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  intoxicating 
drinks,  and  was  the  first  commissioner  to  the  General 
Court  in  Boston  in  that  temperance  effort.  He  died 
in  Northampton,  Aug.  12,  1691,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty  years ;  and  his  widow  Mary,  in  the  month 
of  November  following.  His  son  John  2  was  the  father 
of  William  3,  whose  son  William  4  had  a  son  Lemuel 5, 
born  in  1T49,  and  died  Oct.  1,  1786 ;  "  a  very  worthy 
and  valuable  man,"  says  the  church  record  of  North- 
field.  Luther6,  son  of  Lemuel5,  born  in  1777,  died 
Sept.  24,  1835;  he  married  April  2,  1801,  Betsey 
Hodges,  who  died  Jan.  30,  1845,  aged  sixty-three. 
They  had  thirteen  children,  among  whom  were 
Fanny,  born  Aug.  6,  1803,  married  Oct.  16,  1825, 
Simeon  P.  Moody:  Betsey,  married  Jan.  3,  1828,  Edwin 
Moody ;  these  were  the  parents  of  Dwight  Lyman 
Moody  :  Martha  and  Mary  (twins)  born  June  11, 1809; 


THE  MOODY   AND   THE   HOLTON  FAMILIES.  21 

the  former  married  May  20,  1838,  Zebulon  Allen ;  the 
latter  married  Jan.  14,  1841,  Lewis  Ferrell  of  Green- 
field: Calvin,  born  Oct.  11,  1811,  married  Susan,  sister 
to  Anson  Burlingame  :  Samuel  Socrates,  married  (1) 
October,  1843,  Elizabeth  J.  Clapp  of  Boston,  (2)  Try- 
phenia  S.,  her  sister,  (3)  Nov.  24,  1859,  Georgiana  D., 
another  sister  :  Lemuel,  born  Feb.  21,  1822,  married  in 
1848  Maria  Brown,  (2)  Amelia  Smith.  Samuel  S. 
and  his  brother  Lemuel  have  long  been  engaged  in 
business  in  Boston.1 

The  town  of  Northfield,  in  which  the  evangelist  had 
his  birth,  is  situated  in  the  north-easterly  part  of  Frank- 
lin County,  Mass.,  and  is  noted  for  its  picturesque  and 
varied  scenery. 

The  Connecticut  River  winds  gracefully  through  a 
rich  alluvial  soil  in  the  westerly  section  of  the  town  ; 
while  various  mountain-peaks,  with  charming  valleys 
intervening,  present  delightful  scenic  views  upon  the 
right  and  left.  Several  mountain  streams,  as  the  Squa- 
keag  and  the  Mill  Brook,  on  the  latter  of  which  are 
the  celebrated  Glen  Falls,  glide  through  the  landscape, 
set  in  motion  here  and  there  a  saw-mill,  and  then  enter 
the  main  river. 

The  principal  street  of  Northfield  extends  along  an 
elevated  plain  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river ;  and  the 

1  The  above  sketches  of  the  Moody  and  Holton  families  have  been 
compiled  chiefly  from  that  excellent  work,  the  History  of  Northfield, 
by  J.  H.  Temple  and  George  Sheldon,  published  by  Joel  Munsell, 
Albany,  N.Y.,  1875;  and  the  chart  of  a  portion  of  the  Holton  family,  by 
David  Parsons  Holton,  M.D.,  of  New  York  City. 


22 


LIFE   OF   DWIGHT    LYMAN    MOODY. 


dwelling-houses,  ornamented  with  gardens,  fruit  and 
forest  trees,  present  a  sceme  of  quiet  rural  beauty  such 
as  a  Shenstone  or  a  Goldsmith  might  admire. 

The  population  in  1875  was  1,641.  The  men  are 
mostly  farmers,  —  healthful,  robust,  independent;  and 
their  extensive  herds,  as  well  as  ample  barns,  attest  the 


NORTHFIELD  VILLAGE  LOOKING  NORTH. 


fertility  of  the  soil  in  this  part  of  the  beautiful  valley 
of  the  Connecticut  River. 

The  Massachusetts  and  Vermont  Railway  follows  the 
direction  of  the  main  street ;  and  at  the  centre,  near 
the  station,  may  be  seen  the  two  churches  of  the  town, 
and  the  rural  cemetery  where  the  ashes  of  the  Moody 
family  repose.  The  Indian  name  of  the  place  was 
Squakeag ;  and  people  from  Hadley  and  Northampton 


THE   MOODY    AND    THE    HOLTON    FAMILIES.  23 

began  to  settle  here  as  early  as  1663.  Being,  however, 
on  the  frontier,  they  suffered  greatly  from  the  savages, 
who  saw  with  no  good-will  the  encroachment  of  the 
whites  upon  their  territory. 

Several  assaults  were  made  upon  the  settlement;  and 
the  memory  of  one  of  them,  in  which  Capt.  Richard 


NORTHFIELD  VILLAGE   LOOKING  SOUTH. 

Beers  was  killed,  is  perpetuated  in  the  name  of  a 
mountain  in  the  southerly  part  of  the  town. 

Some  remains  of  the  aborigines  still  appear,  among 
which  are  two  Indian  mounds  about  fifteen  feet  in 
height,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Moody  place.  There  is 
also  a  ledge  between  the  Moody  place  and  the  centre 
of  the  town,  which  marks  the  spot  where  Mr.  Aaron 
Belding  was  killed  by  the  Indians  as  late  as  1748. 

The   town  was   incorporated  Feb.  22,  1713,  and   is 


24  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

noted  as  the  birthplace  of  the  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander, 
D.D.  (1755-1828),  author  of  several  schoolbooks ;  and 
of  Joel  Munsell,  well  known  as  a  writer  and  an  anti- 
quarian publisher. 

It  is  also  noted  as  the  residence  of  Timothy  Swan, 
composer  of  the  original  tune  "  China,"  who  died  nere 
July  23,  1842,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two 
years. 

The  first  minister  of  the  place  was  the  Rev.  Benja- 
min Doolittle,  ordained  in  1718;  and  among  his  parish- 
ioners were  the  Holton  family,  of  whom  William 
Holton  had  been  one  of  the  committee  appointed  by 
the  General  Court  to  lay  out  the  town. 

The  house  in  which  D wight  Lyman  Moody  was 
born,  and  which  is  still  occupied  by  his  venerable 
mother,  is  of  two  stories,  and  stands  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  main  street,  about  a  mile  north  of  the 
centre  of  the  town,  and  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  east 
of  the  Connecticut  River.  It  is  a  plain,  commodious 
farmhouse,  well  shaded  by  some  fine  old  rock-maple 
trees,  and  having  near  it  a  pleasant  garden  and  an 
apple-orchard. 

The  view  from  this  point  is  superb.  The  fair  Con- 
necticut River  is  seen  for  several  miles  sweeping  along 
down  through  the  luxuriant  meadows,  and  spanned 
by  a  distant  bridge;  the  grand  old  mountains  raise 
their  wooded  sides  and  isolated  peaks  on  either  hand  ; 
while  smiling  valleys,  in  which  flocks  and  herds  are 
feeding,   serve    to    heighten  the    enchantment  of  the 


LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY.  25 

scene.  If  delightful  Alpine  prospects  have  some  tend- 
ency to  invigorate  and  inspire  the  mind  with  vivid 
and  original  ideas,  then  certainly  to  the  early  home 
of  the  evangelist,  may  we  not  ascribe  something  of  the 
vigor  and  strength  of  thought  which  he  now  manifests  ? 

The  house  was  built  by  Mr.  Lyman  P.  Moody,  who 
married  Fanny  Holton,  sister  of  Mrs.  Betsey  (Holton) 
Moody ;  and  the  parents  of  Dwight  Lyman  Moody  came 
to  live  in  it  soon  after  their  marriage  on  the  3d  of 
January,  1828. 

The  little  district  schoolhouse,  painted  red,  stood 
near  it ;  and  a  short  distance  northerly  the  Squakeag 
Brook  speeds  merrily  along  into  the  river. 

The  house  was  then  supplied  with  water  by  an  aque- 
duct from  the  mountains. 

Mr.  Edwin  Moody,  father  of  the  evangelist,  was  a 
strong,  active,  sensible  man,  who  gained  his  livelihood 
by  working  at  stone-masonry  and  at  farming.  In  form 
and  size  his  celebrated  son  resembles  him.  His  wife 
was  a  good  manager,  and  noted  for  her  sterling  womanly 
virtues  ;  so  that  for  some  time  after  marriage  their  home 
was  prosperous,  and  they  indulged  the  hope  that  the 
wants  of  their  increasing  family  would  be  well  sup- 
plied. But  by  an  unfortunate  speculation  Mr.  Moody 
lost  a  large  part  of  his  property  ;  and  while  engaged  in 
laying  stone  on  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  May,  1841, 
he  was  suddenly  seized  with  illness  of  which  in  a  few 
hours  he  died, — leaving  a  widow  with  six  sons  and  a 
daughter,  the  oldest  of  whom  was  but  thirteen  years  of 


26 


LIFE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 


IS!    Sit  J 

IS!   :^  I 


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THE  MOODY  AND   THE   HOLTOX  FAMILIES.  27 

age,  and  a  homestead  of  a  few  acres  which  was  heavily 
encumbered  with  debt. 

About  a  month  subsequent  to  the  decease  of  the 
father,  a  boy  and  a  girl  (twins)  were  added  to  the 
family. 

Dwight  Lyman,  who  had  been  named  from  a  friend 
of  his  father,  was  then  a  little  more  than  four  years 
old.  "  The  first  thing  I  remember, "  says  Mr.  Moody 
in  an  impressive  sermon  on  the  Prodigal  Son,  "  was  the 
death  of  my  father.  It  was  a  beautiful  day  in  spring 
time,  when  he  fell  suddenly  dead.  The  shock  made 
such  an  impression  on  me,  young  as  I  was,  that  I  shall 
never  forget  it.  I  remember  nothing  about  the  funeral; 
but  his  death  has  made  a  lasting  impression  on  me." 

It  was  fortunate  for  him  that  he  had  a  good  mother. 
Almost  all  great  men  have  had  good  mothers.  Lamar- 
tine,  Cowper,  Way  land,  Washington,  had  good  mothers. 
It  is  the  mother's  gentle  hand  that  traces  the  key-words 
of  its  destiny  on  the  heart  of  the  little  child  ;  it  is  the 
mother's  approving  voice  that  wakens  aspiration  in  the 
soul. 

But,  with  nine  small  children  in  that  fatherless  home, 
what  could  Mrs.  Moody  hope  to  do  ? 

With  no  income,  with  the  burden  of  such  a  famil}*, 
with  no  visible  means  of  sustenance  at  her  command, 
how  could  the  very  best  of  mothers  keep  from  sinking 
under  the  oppressive  weight?  Whence  were  the  food 
for  so  many  little  mouths,  the  shoes  for  so  many  little 
feet,  to  come  9 


28  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT    LYMAN   MOODY. 

To  the  God  of  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  Mrs. 
Moody  went ;  and  he  sustained  her. 

Some  of  her  friends  advised  her  to  give  a  part  of  her 
little  ones  away.  But  a  good  mother  loves  to  have  her 
children  at  her  side  ;  and  so  tins  noble  woman  deter- 
mined to  keep  them  all  at  home,  and  by  rigid  economy 
feed  and  clothe  them  as  she  could. 

This  period  of  her  life  was  one  of  care  and  trial, 
such  as  the  daughters  of  ease  and  affluence  learn  only 
from  the  fashionable  romance  ;  but  out  of  such  experi- 
ence comes  that  nobility  of  soul  that  forms  the  fairest 
jewel  in  the  crown  of  womanhood. 

She  kept  the  older  children  steadily  employed  in 
cultivating  the  garden,  picking  berries,  apples,  and 
chestnuts,  which  are  abundant  in  that  region,  or  in 
rendering  assistance  to  the  farmers  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, who  made  the  boys  a  fair  compensation  for  their 
labor.  She  found  in  her  pastor,  the  Rev.  Oliver  Capen 
Everett,1  a  sympathizing  friend  who  took  a  lively 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  her  family.  Her  brothers 
and  sisters  kindly  aided  her  in  her  struggles  to  sustain 
the  household;  and  thus  by  her  own  incessant  toil  and 
forethought,  by  some  assistance  from  the  hands  of  the 
older  children,  by  the   encouraging  words  and  aid  of 

i  He  was  the  son  of  Otis  Everett,  aud  was  born  Aug.  20,  1S11;  H.C. 
settled  over  the  church  at  Xorthfield  March  8,  1837,  and  was 
dismissed  Xov.  26,  1S4S.  He  married  May  2o,  1837,  Betsy,  daughter  of 
Daniel  Weld  of  Boston,  by  whom  he  had  Oliver  Weld,  Edward  Frank- 
lin, Moses  Williams,  and  Oliver  Hurd.  He  was  subsequently  a  minis- 
ter at  large  in  Charlestown,  Mass. 


THE  MOODY  AND  THE  HOLTON  FAMILIES.  29 

her  benevolent  pastor,  and  the  benefactions  of  her 
kindred,  this  brave  woman  managed  to  keep  her 
fatherless  group  of  boys  and  girls  together,  to  send 
them  to  the  little  school  near  by,  and  to  appear  with 
them  on  the  Lord's  day  in  decent  apparel  at  Mr. 
Everett's  church  and  sabbath  school. 

It  was  the  custom  of  Mrs.  Moody  to  read  and 
explain  to  her  little  ones  the  books  which  they  brought 
home  with  them,  and  to  instil  into  their  tender  minds 
the  simple  precepts  of  the  gospel.  She  often  repeated 
to  them,  as  they  were  seated  around  the  scanty  board, 
some  verse  of  Scripture,  or  of  sacred  poetry,  which 
they  said  over  till  it  was  fairly  fixed  in  memory. 

If  quarrels  arose  among  them,  she  would  go  away 
and  pray  for  them ;  and  returning,  as  she  subsequently 
said,  "  I  found  they  would  be  all  again  good  chil- 
dren." 

In  such  a  pious,  indigent  mountain  home,  and  under 
the  counsel  of  such  a  mother,  the  great  evangelist  of 
these  modern  times  passed  his  boyhood. 

In  the  hard  school  of  poverty  he  had  his  early  train- 
ing ;  and  for  some  minds  this  is  the  very  best  school. 

As  he  advanced  in  age  he  became  more  helpful  to 
his  widowed  mother,  and  was  in  the  main  obedient  to 
her  commands. 

His  health  was  good,  his  complexion  ruddy,  and  his 
love  of  sport  and  play  unbounded.  Fearless  and  self- 
reliant,  he  used  to  climb  the  apple  and  the  chestnut 
trees,  coast  down  the  hillsides,  and  engage  in  snow- 


30  LIFE   OF  DWIGIIT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

ball  contests  with  the  larger  boys,  of  whom  he  always 
longed  to  be  the  leader. 

For  work  or  books  or  music  he  evinced  no  special 
inclination.  lie  learned  to  read,  he  worked  upon  the 
little  farm  to  please  his  mother.  His  genius  lay  con- 
cealed beneath  the  ebullition  of  his  animal  spirits ;  and 
no  one  thought  of  him  in  his  boyhood  but  as  a  rugged, 
headstrong,  frolicsome  lad,  afraid  of  nothing,  and 
always  ready  for  some  new  prank  or  sport  by  which 
his  wit  or  skill  might  be  made  manifest. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Everett  invited  him  to  come  and 
live  with  him  as  a  boy  of  all  work  about  the  house ; 
but  the  worthy  minister  soon  found  his  patience  tried 
by  the  innocent  pranks  and  capers  of  his  not  very 
hopeful  sabbath-school  pupil,  and  returned  him,  after  a 
few  months'  trial,  to  the  counsels  of  his  mother.  Her 
heart  was  sometimes  sorely  tried  with  him ;  yet  he 
sincerely  loved  her,  and,  when  the  moment  for  reflec- 
tion came,  was  grieved  at  any  pain  he  might  have,  in 
the  exhilaration  of  his  spirits,  caused  her. 

This  affection  for  his  mother  was  the  golden  chain 
that  saved  him.  He  seems  in  boyhood  to  have  had 
but  little  regard  for  any  of  his  teachers,  or  but  little 
faith  in  God.  He  believed  only  in  himself  and  his 
dear  mother.  "  He  used  to  think  himself  a  man,"  said 
she,  "  when  he  was  only  a  boy."  Yet,  though  he  was 
so  self-reliant,  he  esteemed  that  mother  as  the  load- 
stone of  his  early  life. 

Once  at  least  in  those  days  he  called  on  God  for 


THE  MOODY  AND  THE  HOLTON   FAMILIES.  31 

help.  An  old  fence  had  fallen  upon  him  when  alone, 
and  was  holding  him  a  captive.  "  I  tried  and  tried," 
said  he,  "  but  could  not  lift  the  heavy  rails.  I  hallooed 
for  help ;  but  nobody  came.  Then  I  thought  I  should 
have  to  die  away  up  there  on  the  mountain  all  alone. 
But  I  happened  to  think  that  maybe  God  would  help 
me,  and  so  I  asked  him ;  and  after  that  I  could  lift  the 
rails." 

This  is  his  first  recorded  prayer.  How  faithfully  he 
used  to  perform  his  work  in  boyhood,  may  be  inferred 
from  one  of  his  illustrations  of  the  manner  in  which 
some  people  read  the  Bible. 

"  When  I  was  a  boy,"  said  he,  "  I  worked  on  a  farm ; 
and  I  hoed  corn  so  poorly  that  when  I  left  off  I  had  to 
take  a  stick,  and  mark  the  place,  so  I  could  tell  the 
next  morning  where  I  had  stopped  the  night  before.  If 
I  didn't,  I  would,  likely  as  not,  hoe  the  same  row  over 
again." 

He  evidently  was  not  fashioned  for  a  farmer.  His 
leading  propensity,  said  one  who  knew  him  well  in 
boyhood,  was  for  sport ;  and  to  be  first  in  this,  was 
ever  his  constant  aim.  It  is  related  of  him,  that  on 
the  death  of  an  old  cat  he  determined  to  honor  its 
remains  by  holding  funeral  services  over  them ;  and  so, 
inviting  the  children  of  the  neighborhood  together,  he 
had  the  body  borne  into  the  schoolhouse  near  his  home, 
and  then  performed  himself  the  obsequies  with  an 
official  dignity  becoming  the  occasion. 

Another  juvenile  freak  may  here  be  mentioned  in 
attestation  of  the  buoyancy  of  his  young  blood. 


32  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

Following  one  day,  with  other  boys,  an  honest 
farmer  who  was  riding  leisurely  along,  and  noticing 
that  he  raised  a  jug  of  molasses-and-water  to  his  lips 
to  drink,  young  Moody  hurled  a  ball,  as  quick  as  light- 
ning, at  the  horse,  which  starting  suddenly  broke  the 
vessel  by  the  shock,  and  spattered  the  contents  over 
the  poor  man's  face.  The  mischievous  boy,  however, 
immediately  commiserated  him  on  the  mishap,  and 
atoned  for  the  offence  by  asking  pardon,  and  promis- 
ing not  to  commit  the  same  again. 

At  one  period  he  spent  several  months  with  his  aunt, 
Mrs.  Lewis  Farrell,  in  the  neighboring  town  of  Green- 
field ;  and  while  living  there  he  actually  bargained  for 
a  yoke  of  oxen  for  the  homestead,  under  the  impression 
that  he  could  easily  borrow  money  enough  to  pay  for 
them. 

But  his  young  life  was  not  all  sunshine.  Unremitting 
labor,  interrupted  only  now  and  then  by  a  brief  attend- 
ance at  the  district  school,  and  by  the  sweet  repose  of 
the  sacred  sabbath,  was  the  imperative  necessity  of  his 
early  days ;  and  sometimes  the  sickness  of  his  beloved 
mother,  or  some  other  sad  event,  would  cast  a  gloomy 
shade  over  the  humble  home,  repressing  levity,  and  lead- 
ing even  the  most  buoyant  to  solicitude  and  reflection. 

Among  the  most  painful  occurrences  in  the  history 
of  this  family  was  the  sudden  departure  of  the  oldest 
son  from  home.  Mr.  Moody  most  touchingly  relates 
the  circumstances  in  illustration  of  the  parable  of  the 
Prodigal  Son. 


THE  MOODY  AND  THE   HOLTON  FAMILIES.  33 

"  My  eldest  brother,  to  whom  my  mother  looked  up 
to  comfort  her  in  her  loneliness  and  in  her  great  afflic- 
tion, became  a  wanderer :  he  left  home.  I  need  not 
tell  how  that  mother  mourned  for  her  boy,  how  she 
waited  day  by  day,  and  month  by  month,  for  his  return. 
I  need  not  say  how  night  after  night  she  watched  and 
wept  and  prayed.  Many  a  time  we  were  told  to  go  to 
the  post-office  to  see  if  a  letter  had  not  come  from 
him ;  but  we  had  to  bring  back  the  sorrowful  words, 
'No  letter  yet,  mother.'  Many  a  time  have  I  waked 
up,  and  heard  my  mother  pray,  '  O  God,  bring  back  my 
boy  ! '  Many  a  time  did  she  lift  her  heart  up  to  God 
in  prayer  for  her  boy.  When  the  wintry  gale  Avould 
blow  around  the  house,  and  the  storm  rage  without  the 
door,  her  dear  face  would  wear  a  terribly  anxious  look, 
and  she  would  utter,  in  piteous  tones,  '  O  my  dear 
boy !  perhaps  he  is  now  on  the  ocean  this  fearful  njght. 
O  God,  preserve  him ! '  We  would  sit  round  the  fire- 
side of  an  evening,  and  ask  her  to  tell  us  about  our 
father,  and  she  would  talk  for  hours  about  him ;  but,  if 
the  mention  of  my  eldest  brother  should  chance  to  come 
in,  then  all  would  be  hushed :  she  never  spoke  of  him 
but  with  tears.  Many  a  time  did  she  try  to  conceal 
them,  but  all  would  be  in  vain ;  and,  when  Thanks- 
giving Day  would  come,  a  chair  used  to  be  set  for  him. 

"  Our  friends  and  neighbors  gave  him  up ;  but  our 
mother  had  faith  that  she  would  see  him  again.  One 
day,  in  the  middle  of  summer,  a  stranger  was  seen 
approaching  the  house. 


34  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

"  He  came  up  on  the  east  piazza,  and  looked  upon 
my  mother  through  the  window.  The  man  had  a  long 
beard ;  and,  when  my  mother  first  saw  him,  she  did  not 
start  or  rise.  But,  when  she  saw  the  great  tears  trick- 
ling down  his  cheeks,  she  cried,  4  It's  my  boy,  my  dear, 
dear  boy  ! '  and  sprang  to  the  window.  But  there  the 
boy  stood,  and  said,  '  Mother,  I  will  never  cross  the 
threshold  until  you  say  you  forgive  me.'  Do  you  think 
he  had  to  stay  there  long  ?  No,  no :  her  arms  were 
soon  around  him,  and  she  wept  upon  his  shoulder,  as 
did  the  father  of  the  prodigal  son.  I  heard  of  it  while 
in  a  distant  city,  and  what  a  thrill  of  joy  shot  through 
me !  But  what  joy  on  earth  can  equal  the  joy  in 
heaven  when  a  prodigal  comes  home? " 

An  aptitude  to  learn  the  elements  of  literature  at 
school  in  early  life  is  by  no  means  a  sure  indication  of 
superior  genius  in  the  pupil.  Many  a  boy,  pronounced 
a  dunce  by  his  dogmatic  teachers,  has  arisen  to  com- 
manding intellectual  eminence.  There  are  higher  les- 
sons than  the  grammar  and  arithmetic  afford ;  there 
are  more  potent  voices  than  the  schoolroom  ever  sends 
into  the  listening  ear  of  boyhood.  A  mother's  love, 
for  instance,  touches  chords  within  the  soul  which  even 
the  most  faithful  teacher  never  reaches.  Then,  too, 
the  book  of  this  grand,  living,  mysterious  nature,  so 
fresh,  so  varied,  and  so  charming,  wakens  thought  and 
aspiration  in  the  plastic  soul,  and  gives  to  it  the  ele- 
ments of  such  an  education  as  the  most  assiduous  drill- 


THE  MOODY   AND   THE   HOLTON  FAMILIES.  35 

ing  in  the  schools  can  never,  of  itself  alone,  impart. 
The  schools  can  make  a  doctor  of  divinity,  bnt  never  a 
divine. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  say  that  Dwight  Lyman  Moody 
is  uneducated.  Of  scholastic  training  he  had,  indeed, 
not  much,  for  the  lessons  of  his  school-teachers  —  Mr. 
Bruce  and  others  —  were  generally  unheeded;  yet 
even  in  his  earliest  boyhood  he  was  a  quick  and 
keen  observer  of  the  strange  and  busy  world  around 
him.  The  tender  lessons  of  his  mother  were  not  lost 
on  him ;  the  sorrows  of  his  family  sunk  through  the 
effervescence  of  his  spirits,  deep  into  his  heart.  The 
tolling  of  the  death-bell,  the  roar  of  the  mountain 
wind,  the  fall  of  the  snowflake,  the  germination  of 
the  seed  in  springtime,  the  flight  of  the  birds,  the 
rustling  of  the  leaves  in  autumn,  the  current  of  the 
noble  river,  the  flowing  tide  of  busy  life* in  Northfield, 
bright  in  hope,  or  dark  in  sorrow,  made  indelible 
impressions  on  Ins  mind. 

He  received  such  teachings,  pondered  over  them  till 
they  became  a  part  of  his  own  being.  He  was  a 
learner  in  the  higher  sense,  —  taking  his  instructions 
fresh  and  free,  instead  of  second-hand  through  books, 
from  life  and  nature.  Hence  his  originality  and  power. 
His  apt  allusions  to  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  his 
early  days,  his  fine  illustrations  drawn  from  memories  of 
childhood,  clearly  show  that  he  was  then  a  learner,  — « 
I  had  almost  said  the  learner  of  that  period,  — and  that 
something  higher   and  nobler    than  what   the  schools 


3G  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

alone  can  teach  is  needed  for  the  attainment  of  com- 
manding power  over  the  minds  of  men. 

This  he  acquired  in  part  while  nurtured  in  the 
pinching  penury  of  his  mountain  home. 

Though  joyous  in  his  temperament,  restive  and  sur- 
charged with  the  love  of  fun  and  frolic,  young  Moody 
was  not  really  vicious ;  and  it  is  erroneous  to  suppose 
that  he  had  no  deep  religious  impressions  in  his  early 
days.  The  atmosphere  he  breathed  was  flavored  with 
religion.  The  words  of  his  dear  mother  were  choice 
seeds  of  truth  sown  in  his  heart.  The  instructions  of 
the  sabbath  school,  the  prayers  of  Mr.  Everett,  with 
here  and  there  a  word  of  Christian  counsel,  the  vicis- 
situdes of  life,  and  the  doings  of  death  around  him, 
served  sometimes  to  turn  his  thoughts  to  serious  things, 
to  awaken  aspirations  after  goodness,  and  to  enrich  his 
soul  with  imagery  and  emotions  which  he  now  recalls 
with  fine  effect  for  the  illustration  of  religious  truth. 

"  I  remember  when  I  was  a  boy,"  said  Mr.  Moody 
in  one  of  his  effective  sermons,  "  I  went  several  miles 
from  home  with  an  older  brother.  That  seemed  to 
me  the  longest  visit  of  my  life.  It  seemed  that  I  was 
then  farther  away  from  home  than  I  had  ever  been 
before,  or  have  ever  been  since.  While  we  were  walk- 
ing down  the  street,  we  saw  an  old  man  coming  toward 
us ;  and  my  brother  said,  '  There  is  a  man  who  will 
give  you  a  cent.  He  gives  every  new  boy  that  comes 
into  this  town  a  cent.'  That  was  my  first  visit  to  the 
town ;  and  when  the  old  man  got  opposite  to  us  he 


THE  MOODY  AND  THE  HOLTON  FAMILIES.         37 

looked  around,  and  my  brother  not  wishing  me  to  lose 
the  cent,  and  to  remind  the  old  man  that  I  had  not 
received  it,  told  him  that  I  was  a  new  boy  in  the  town. 
The  old  man,  taking  off  my  hat,  placed  his  trembling 
hand  on  my  head,  and  told  me  I  had  a  Father  in  heaven. 
It  was  a  kind,  simple  act,  but  I  feel  the  pressure  of  the 
old  man's  hand  upon  my  head  to-day." 

The  impression  which  the  village  bell,  when  tolling 
out  the  number  of  the  years  that  any  one  deceased 
had  lived,  made  on  his  mind,  is  thus  vividly  referred 
to :  "I  well  remember  how  I  used  to  look  on  Death 
as  a  terrible  monster  ;  how  he  used  to  throw  his  dark 
shadow  across  my  path ;  how  I  trembled  as  I  thought 
of  the  terrible  hour  when  he  should  come  for  me  ;  how 
I  thought  I  should  like  to  die  of  some  lingering  disease, 
such  as  consumption,  so  that  I  might  know  when  he 
was  coming.  It  was  the  custom  in  our  village  to  toll 
from  the  old  church  bell  the  age  of  any  one  who  had 
died.  Death  never  entered  that  village,  and  tore  away 
one  of  the  inhabitants,  but  I  counted  the  tolling  of  the 
bell.  Sometimes  it  was  seventy,  sometimes  eighty, 
sometimes  it  would  be  away  down  among  the  teens, 
sometimes  it  would  toll  out  the  death  of  some  one  of 
my  own  age.  It  made  a  solemn  impression  upon  me. 
I  felt  a  coward  then.  I  thought  of  the  cold  hand  of 
Death  feeling  for  the  cords  of  life.  I  thought  of  being 
launched  forth  to  spend  my  eternity  in  an  unknown 
land. 

"  As  I  looked  into  the  grave,  and  saw  the  sexton 


38  LIFE  OF  DWrGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

throw  the  earth  on  the  coffin-lid,  '  Earth  to  earth, 
ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust,'  it  seemed  like  the  death- 
knell  to  my  soul.  But  that  is  all  changed  now.  The 
grave  has  lost  its  terror.  As  I  go  on  towards  heaven,  I 
can  shout,  '  O  death !  where  is  thy  sting  ? '  and  I  hear 
the  answer  rolling  down  from  Calvary,  ;  Buried  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Son  of  God.'  " 

The  flower-bud  of  religion  had  not  then  appeared  ik 
his  heart ;  but  the  sod  was  broken,  and  the  seed  wa* 
germinating. 

A  story  told  to  young  Moody  by  a  farmer  working 
with  him  left  a  very  serious  impression  on  his  mind, 
and  may  be  considered  as  one  of  the  many  influences 
that  led  to  his  conversion. 

"  Before  I  left  the  farm,"  says  the  evangelist,  "  I 
was  talking  one  day  to  a  man  who  was  working  there, 
and  who  was  weeping.  I  said  to  him,  '  What  is  the 
trouble  ? '  And  he  told  me  a  very  strange  story. 
When  he  started  in  life,  he  left  his  native  village,  and 
went  to  another  town  to  find  something  to  do,  and  was 
unsuccessful.  The  first  sabbath  he  went  to  a  little 
church ;  and  the  minister  preached  from  the  text, 
4  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God ; '  and  he  thought 
the  text  and  the  sermon  were  for  him.  He  wanted  to 
get  rich  ;  and,  when  he  was  settled  in  life,  he  would 
seek  the  kingdom  of  God.  He  went  on,  and  the  next 
sabbath  he  was  in  another  village.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  heard  another  minister  preach  from  the  same 
text,  '  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God.'     He  thought 


THE   MOODY  AND  THE   HOLTON   FAMILIES.  39 

surely  some  one  must  have  been  speaking  to  the  min- 
ister about  him  ;  for  the  minister  just  pictured  him 
out.  But  he  said,  when  he  got  settled  in  life,  and  had 
control  of  his  time,  and  was  his  own  master,  he  would 
then  seek  the  kingdom  of  God. 

"  Some  time  after,  he  was  at  another  village,  and  here 
went  to  church  again ;  and  he  had  not  been  going  a 
great  while  when  he  heard  the  third  minister  preach 
from  the  same  text :  4  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  his  righteousness,  and  all  things  else  shall  be 
added.'  He  said  it  went  right  down  into  his  soul ; 
but  he  calmly  and  deliberately  made  up  his  mind  that 
he  would  not  become  a  Christian  until  he  had  got  set- 
tled in  life,  and  owned  his  farm.  This  man  said,  4  Now 
I  am  what  the  world  calls  rich.  I  go  to  church  every 
Sunday ;  but  I  have  never  heard  a  sermon,  from  that 
day  to  this,  which  has  ever  made  any  impression  on 
my  heart.  My  heart  is  as  hard  as  a  stone.'  As  he  said 
that,  tears  trickled  down  his  cheeks.  I  was  a  young 
man,  and  did  not  know  what  it  meant.  When  I  was 
converted  I  thought,  when  I  should  go  back  home,  1 
would  see  this  man,  and  preach  Christ  to  him.  When 
I  went  back  home,  I  said  to  my  widowed  mother,  nam- 
ing the  man,  c  Is  he  still  living  in  the  same  place  ?  ' 
My  mother  said,  '  He  is  gone  mad,  and  has  been  taken 
away  to  the  insane-asylum  ;  and  to  every  one  that  goes 
to  see  him  he  points  his  finger,  and  says,  "  Seek  ye  first 
the  kingdom  of  God."  '  I  thought  I  should  like  to  see 
him  ;  but  he  was  so  far  gone  it  would  do  no  good. 


40  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

The  next  time  I  went  home  he  was  at  his  home,  idiotic. 
I  went  to  see  him.  When  I  went  in  I  said,  '  Do  you 
know  me  ?  '  Pie  pointed  his  finger  at  me,  and  said, 
4  Young  man,  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God.'  God 
had  driven  the  text  into  his  mind,  hut  his  reason  was 
gone.  Three  years  ago,  when  I  visited  my  father's 
grave,  I  noticed  a  new  stone  had  been  put  up.  I 
stopped,  and  found  it  was  my  friend's.  The  autumn 
wind  seemed  whispering  that  text,  4  Seek  ye  first  the 
kingdom  of  God.' " 


CHAPTER  II. 


MB.   MOODY  AT  THE  AGE   OF   SEVENTEEN.— A  CLERK  IN  BOSTON. 

—  UNITES  WITH  THE  CHURCH.  —  HIS  ANXIETY  TO  SPEAK  IN 
RELIGIOUS  MEETINGS.  — REMOVES  TO  CHICAGO.— EARLY  MISSION- 
ARY WORK 

Young  Moody  leaves  School.  —A  Clerk  in  his  Uncle  Holton's  Store.  — 
Conditions  on  which  he  entered  it. —  He  attends  Mount  Vernon 
Church  and  Sabbath  School.  —  His  Personal  Appearance  at  this 
Time. — Letter  from  Home.  —  He  is  visited  by  Mr.  Kimball,  and 
converted.  —  How  he  repays  Mr.  Kimball  for  his  Kindness.  — 
Notice  of  his  Speaking  in  the  Meetings.  —  He  is  examined  and 
admitted  into  Dr.  Kirk's  Church.  —  Deacon  Palmer  at  Exeter  Hall 
in  London. — Dr.  Kirk's  Opinion.  —  Young  Moody  removes  to 
Chicago.  —  The  Advantages  he  derived  from  living  in  Boston.  — 
His  Opinion  of  the  City. — He  joins  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Roy's  Church. 

—  Engages  in  Recruiting-Service  for  the  Sabbath  School. 

"  God  is  able  to  make  him  stand."  —  St.  Patti* 

"  Oh,  happy  day  that  fixed  my  choice 
On  thee,  my  Saviour  and  my  God ! 
Well  may  this  glowing  heart  rejoice, 
And  tell  its  raptures  all  abroad."  —  Db.  Doddridge. 

In  the  midst  of  such  circumstances,  and  under  such 
influences,  this  country  lad  grew  up  till  the  age  of 
seventeen  years.  He  was  compactly  built,  robust  and 
vigorous,  self-reliant,  reckless ;  yet  attentive  to  his 
mother's  wishes,  and  always  ready  to  confess  his  errors : 

41 


42  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

During  his  last  term  at  the  winter  school,  he  had  an 
altercation  with  his  teacher,  who  decided  to  expel  him ; 
but,  his  mother  interceding  in  the  matter,  he  promised 
to  amend,  and  so  for  the  first  time  applied  himself  to 
study.  He  continued  docile  until  the  session,  and  with 
it  his  scholastic  education,  closed. 

He  then  determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  world. 

Elate  with  hope,  he  invested  himself  in  his  best 
clothes,  bade  his  mother  good-by,  and,  with  a  few 
dollars  in  his  pocket,  left  the  beautiful  scenes  of  his 
boyhood,  and  took  the  cars  for  Boston.  On  arriving  in 
the  city,  he  made  his  way  to  the  shoe-store  of  his 
uncle,  Samuel  S.  Holton,  who  then  was  doing  business 
at  No.  43  Court  Street.  On  a  visit  to  Northfield  the 
preceding  winter,  Mr.  Holton  had  declined  to  receive 
young  Moody  into  his  establishment,  fearing  that  his 
waywardness  "Binder  the  temptations  of  the  city  might 
result  in  trouble  :  his  surprise  was  therefore  great  on 
seeing  the  verdant  youth  before  him  at  his  counter. 
He  inquired  kindly  as  to  the  welfare  of  the  family,  but 
did  not  offer  Dwight  a  place ;  and  he  himself  had  too 
much  pride  to  make  again  solicitation.  Disappointed  in 
his  expectations,  he  set  himself  to  searching  through  the 
city,  as  many  a  youth  has  done  in  vain,  for  some  kind 
of  employment.  Every  place  seemed  to  be  filled ;  and 
the  hard  word,  "  No  one  wanted  here,"  met  him  at 
every  application. 

He  went  over,  and  tried  the  City  of  Lowell  with  no 
better  success.     He  then  resolved  to  travel  on  foot  (for 


MR.  MOODY  AT  THE  AGE  OF  SEVENTEEN.    43 

his  funds  were  running  low)  to  New  York  City,  in  which 
perhaps  he  might  find  fortune  more  propitious ;  when 
happening  to  discuss  the  matter  with  another  uncle, 
Mr.  Lemuel  Holton,  in  whose  house  he  lodged  at  night, 
a  conversation  similar  to  this  ensued  :  "Why  don't 
you  ask  your  uncle  Samuel  for  a  situation  ? "  — 
"Because,"  replied  the  high-spirited  youth,  "I  think 
he  ought  to  make  the  offer  himself."  — "  But,"  con- 
tinued his  uncle,  "  if  you  consider  the  place  worth 
having,  then  certainly  it  is  worth  asking  for.  Go  and 
ask  for  it."  — "  He  ought  to  ask  me,"  rejoined  the  boy; 
but,  his  pride  somewhat  abating  by  the  recollection  of 
his  unsuccessful  efforts,  he  added,  "  111  go  and  see 
him."  He  went;  and  his  uncle  Samuel,  who  felt  the 
liveliest  interest  in  his  welfare,  agreed  to  take  him  into 
his  store  on  these  four  conditions :  namely,  that  he 
should  board  in  such  a  family  as  Mr.  Holton,  who  had 
then  removed  to  Winchester,  should  approve ;  that  he 
should  attend  the  Mount  Vernon  Church  and  sabbath 
school ;  that  he  should  not  visit  questionable  places  of 
amusement ;  and  that  he  should  be  guided  by  the  ad- 
vice of  his  employer.  These  were  reasonable  require- 
ments; to  them  Mr.  Holton's  wayward  nephew  read- 
ily assented,  and  commenced  his  labors  as  a  boy  of 
all  work  in  the  store.  He  boarded  for  a  while  with 
Deacon  Levi  Bowers,  in  Allen  Street ;  and  afterwards 
with  Mrs.  David  Beal,  a  pious  lady,  then  living  at  No. 
5  Eaton  Street. 

A  photograph   of  the  young   clerk,   taken  at  this 


44  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

period,  is  preserved.  He  appears  in  an  overcoat  but- 
toned up  to  the  neck,  and  a  high  cloth  cap,  with  a 
beardless  face  expressive  of  the  satisfaction  which  his 
good  looks  and  his  handsome  dress  afforded  him. 

In  the  store  he  soon  made  himself  decidedly  useful, 
and  became  a  salesman.  He  exhibited  the  three  prime 
qualities  of  a  good  clerk,  —  obedience,  honesty,  activ- 
ity ;  and  his  uncle  had  no  reason  to  complain  to  him  of 
any  failure  to  fulfil  the  four  conditions  under  which  he 
received  him  into  his  employ. 

His  wages  were  but  small ;  and,  with  his  love  of 
dress,  he  often  found  his  pockets  empty. 

His  home  at  Northfield  he  kept  constantly  in 
memory ;  and  his  greatest  source  of  comfort  was  the 
reception  of  a  letter  from  some  member  of  the  family. 

"  I  remember,"  says  he  in  one  of  his  most  charac- 
teristic sermons,  "  when  I  first  left  home,  and  went  to 
Boston,  I  had  spent  all  my  money ;  and  I  went  to  the 
post-office  three  times  a  day.  I  knew  there  was  only 
one  mail  a  day  from  home ;  but  I  thought,  by  some 
possibility,  there  might  be  a  letter  for  me.  At  last  I 
got  a  letter  from  my  little  sister,  and  I  was  awful  glad 
to  get  it.  She  had  heard  that  there  were  a  great  many 
pickpockets  in  Boston  ;  and  a  large  part  of  that  letter 
was  to  have  me  be  very  careful  not  to  let  anybody 
pick  my  pocket.  Now,  I  had  got  to  have  something  in 
my  pocket  in  order  to  have  it  picked.  So  you  have 
got  to  have  salvation  before  you  can  work  it  out." 

Young  Moody  attended  the  Mount  Vernon  Church, 


ME.  MOODY  AT  THE  AGE  OF  SEVENTEEN.    45 

then  one  of  the  most  progressive  in  the  city,  and  lis- 
tened with  more  or  less  attention  to  the  sermons  of  its 
eloquent  pastor.  He  also  entered  a  sabbath-school 
class  taught  by  Mr.  Edward  Kimball,  an  earnest  and 
intelligent  Christian.  For  some  time  he  was  a  silent 
pupil ;  but  one  day  he  arrested  the  attention  of  his 
teacher  by  the  odd  question,  "  That  Moses  was  what 
you  call  a  pretty  smart  man,  wasn't  he  ?  "  Mr.  Kim- 
ball then  resolved  to  visit  his  country  pupil  at  his 
place  of  business.  He  entered  Mr.  Holton's  store,  and 
in  his  friendly  manner  laid  his  hand  on  young  Moody's 
shoulder.  The  touch  went  to  his  heart.  "  I  can  feel," 
says  the  evangelist,  "  the  touch  of  that  man's  hand  on 
my  shoulder  even  yet."  After  some  inquiries,  Mr. 
Kimball  said  to  him,  "  "Will  you  not  give  your  heart  to 
Jesus  ?  " 

That  question  moved  the  soul  of  the  attentive  clerk : 
it  led  him  to  desire  to  be  a  Christian.  It  was  the  pivot, 
as  it  were,  on  which  his  destiny  was  hinging.  "  Yes," 
mused  he  with  himself,  "  I  will  consecrate  myself  to 
the  service  of  my  God  ; "  and  that  decision,  made  in 
earnest,  was  soon  followed  by  a  declaration  of  his 
intent  to  live  a  Christian  life,  and  to  induce  other  men 
to  follow  his  example. 

Of  the  kindly  interest  Mr.  Kimball  manifested  in  his 
spiritual  welfare,  Mr.  Moody  always  speaks  with  deep 
emotion  ;  and  nothing  ever  gave  him  more  pleasure 
than  to  see  two  of  his  sabbath-school  teacher's  children 
come  to  Christ  through  his  own  persuasion. 


46 


LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 


MOUNT  VEltNON  CHURCH. 


MR.  MOODY  AT  THE  AGE  OF  SEVENTEEN.    47 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  said  Mr.  Moody  after  one 
of  his  services,  to  a  young  man  who  introduced  himself 
as  a  son  of  Mr.  Kimball.     "  Are  you  a  Christian  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  Seventeen  years." 

"  Just  my  age  when  your  father  led  me  to  the 
Saviour;  and  that  was  just  seventeen  years  ago  this 
very  day.  Now  I  desire  to  pay  him  by  leading  his  son 
to  Christ.  Come,  let  us  pray  together."  Soon  after- 
wards the  son  of  Mr.  Kimball  became  a  Christian. 

When  young  Moody  had  decided  on  a  religious 
course  of  life,  he  at  once  resolved  to  let  his  light  shine 
forth.  He  commenced  speaking  in  the  social  meetings, 
but  his  ungrammatical  words  and  broken  sentences 
were  not  always  acceptable ;  he  had  more  in  his  heart 
than  he  could  express  in  language.  He  met  with 
many  obstacles  in  the  beginning  of  his  life  in  Christ. 
His  uncle  Samuel  and  his  excellent  aunt  Holton,  how- 
ever, encouraged  him  to  continue  in  the  course  that  he 
had  chosen  :  so  he  went  on  telling  his  friends  what 
Christ  had  done  for  his  soul,  as  he  had  opportunity,  and 
on  the  16th  of  May,  1855,  applied  for  admission  to  the 
church.  He  was  examined  by  the  committee  ;  but,  fail- 
ing to  satisfy  them  as  to  the  genuineness  of  his  conver- 
sion, he  was  kindly  advised  to  wait  a  while  in  order 
that  they  might  give  the  subject  more  consideration. 
In  the  roughness  of  the  setting,  the  diamond  was  not 
discovered ;  and  he  certainly  at  that  time  had  but  a 


48  LIFE   OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

limited  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  Christianity. 
The  committee  acted  wisely,  and  courteously  proffered 
to  him  instruction  for  which  he  is  ever  grateful.  This 
delay  in  receiving  him  into  fellowship  Mr.  Moody  now 
considers  one  of  the  most  fortunate  circumstances  of 
his  life.  He  was  again  examined  March  12,  1856,  and 
admitted  to  the  church. 

One  of  the  committee  said  recently,  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend,  "  I  am  glad  to  sit  at  his  feet,  and  learn  now  how 
to  serve  our  Lord  and  Master."  1 


1  The  record  of  Mr.  Moody's  examination  is  copied  from  the  church 
register.  The  language  here  used  indicates  more  knowledge  of  religion 
than  he  then  possessed;  for  the  statements  were  put  in  the  form  of 
questions  hy  the  committee,  to  which  he  replied  in  general  by  the 
monosyllables  "yes"  or  "no." 

"No.  1079.  Dwight  L.  Moody.  —  Boards  43  Court  St.  Has  been  baptized.  Firsi 
awakened  on  tbe  21st  April  [16tb  May].  Became  anxious  about  biniself .  Saw  him- 
self a  sinner;  and  sin  now  seems  bateful,  and  holiness  desirable.  Thinks  he  has 
repented.  Has  purposed  to  give  up  sin.  Feels  dependent  upon  Christ  for  forgive- 
ness. Loves  the  Scriptures.  Prays  once  a  day.  Desires  to  be  useful.  Religiously 
educated.  Been  in  the  city  a  year.  From  Northfield,  this  State.  Is  not  ashamed 
to  be  known  as  a  Christian.    18  years  old. 

"  No.  1131.  March  12, 1856.  —  Thinks  he  has  made  some  progress  since  he  was 
here  before,  —  at  least  in  knowledge.  Was  then  very  ignorant  of  the  Bible.  Has 
maintained  his  habits  of  prayer  and  reading  the  Bible.  Believes  God  will  hear  his 
prayers.  Does  not  think  of  Christ  as  often  as  he  ought  Believes  Christ  has  suf- 
fered a  great  deal  for  us,  but  does  not  feel  it  much.  Is  fully  determined  to  adhere 
to  the  cause  of  Christ  always.  Feels  that  it  would  be  very  bad  if  he  should  join 
the  Church  and  then  turn.  Thinks  he  cannot  live  without  sinning.  Must  repent 
of  sin,  and  ask  forgiveness  for  Christ's  sake.  Will  never  give  up  his  hope,  or  love 
Christ  less,  whether  admitted  to  the  Church  or  not.  His  prevailing  intention  is  to 
give  up  his  will  to  God. 

"Admitted  May  4, 1856. 


MR.  MOODY  AT  THE  AGE  OF  SEVENTEEN.    49 

It  is  related  by  Dr.  Savage  of  Chicago,  that  at  the 
close  of  one  of  Mr.  Moody's  great  meetings  in  Exeter 
Hall,  London,  he  exclaimed  in  his  blunt  way,  — 

"  I  see  in  the  house  an  eminent  Christian  gentleman 
from  Boston.  Deacon  Palmer,  come  right  forward  to 
the  platform:  the  people  want  to  hear  from  you." 
Reluctantly  the  deacon  came  upon  the  platform,  and 
began  by  saying  that  he  had  known  Mr.  Moody  at 
home,  and,  had,  indeed  belonged  to^  the  same  church 
with  him ;  when  Mr.  Moody,  suddenly  interrupting 
him,  cried  out,  "  Yes,  deacon  ;  and  you  kept  me  out  of 
that  church  for  many  months,  because  you  thought  I 
did  not  know  enough  to  join  it." 

When  the  laughter  of  the  audience  had  subsided, 
Deacon  Palmer  happily  replied,  that  "  all  must  agree 
with  him  that  it  was  a  great  privilege  to  have  received 
Mr.  Moody  into  the  church  at  all,  even  though  with 
great  misgivings  and  after  long  delay." 

It  is  not  true  that  Dr.  Kirk  or  any  member  of  his 
church  advised  Mr.  Moody  not  to  speak  in  the  meet- 
ing. In  a  letter  referring  to  this  point,  and  signed  by 
Messrs.  A.  Cushing,  J.  W.  Kimball,  J.  M.  Pinkerton, 
J.  S.  Ward,  J.  D.  Leland,  and  J.  C.  Tyler,  members  of 
that  church,  they  say,  "  We  have  no  reason  to  believe 
that  either  the  pastor  or  any  member  of  the  church 
ever  by  word  or  act  discouraged  his  efforts. "  The  first 
time  Mr.  Moody  spoke  in  public,  after  his  conversion, 
was  at  a  city  mission  meeting  among  the  poor  at  the 
North  End.  It  was  after  his  removal  to  Chicago,  that 
he  was  advised  not  to  speak  in  public. 


50  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

On  seeing  the  work  of  the  evangelist  in  Chicago, 
several  years  ago,  Dr.  Kirk  said  on  his  return  to  Mr. 
Samuel  S.  Holton,  "  I  told  our  people  last  night  that 
we  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  ourselves  for  our  inactivity. 
There  is  that  young  Moody,  who  we  thought  did  not 
know  enough  to  be  a  member  of  our  church,  exerting 
a  greater  influence  for  Christ  than  any  other  man  in 
the  great  North-West." 

Still  it  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  Mr.  Moody  gave 
the  church  but  little  reason  to  hope  that  he  would  be- 
come an  eminent  Christian  worker.  "  I  can  truly  say," 
writes  Mr.  Edward  Kimball,  "  and  in  saying  it  I  mag- 
nify the  infinite  grace  of  God  as  bestowed  upon  him, 
that  I  have  seen  few  persons  whose  minds  were  spiritu- 
ally darker  than  was  his  when  he  came  into  my  Sun- 
day-school class ;  and  I  think  the  committee  of  the 
Mount  Vernon  Church  seldom  met  an  applicant  for 
membership  more  unlikely  ever  to  become  a  Christian 
of  clear  and  decided  views  of  gospel  truth,  still  less 
to  fill  any  extended  sphere  of  public  usefulness. "  Mr. 
Moody  remained  in  my  class  about  two  years,  till  he 
bade  me  good-by  on  leaving  Boston  for  Chicago. 

Boston  proved  to  be  a  very  good  school  for  this  rustic 
youth.  In  body,  mind,  and  manners,  he  arose  during  his 
two  and  a  half  years'  residence  here  to  a  higher  stand- 
ard. He  also  acquired  the  art  of  selling  goods  with 
alacrity,  and  in  accordance  with  the  Golden  Rule.  His 
uncles,  Samuel  S.  and  Lemuel  Holton,  were  men  of 
probity  and  piety.     He  was  led  by  their  example,  as 


MR.  MOODY  AT  THE  AGE  OF  SEVENTEEN.    51 

well  as  counsel,  to  deal  honestly,  to  live  soberly,  and 
to  cherish  an  aspiration  not  only  to  do  good,  but  also 
to  be  good.  The  eloquence  of  his  pastor,  Dr.  Kirk, 
enchanted  him ;  and  Mr.  Kimball's  kind  solicitations  for 
his  spiritual  welfare  touched  his  heart. 

The  anti-slavery  question,  then  intensely  agitated  in 
the  city,  awakened  his  attention ;  and  he  boldly  advo- 
cated in  his  way  the  liberation  of  the  bondman.  Dur- 
ing the  presidential  campaign  in  1856,  he  took  a  lively 
interest  in  the  contest,  and  was  often  seen  in  front  of 
Mr.  Holton's  store  distributing  or  selling  the  portrait 
of  John  C.  Fremont  to  the  people  as  they  passed  along 
the  street.  His  companions,  Palmer,  Gale,  and  others, 
exercised  a  benign  influence  over  him ;  his  rude  at- 
tempts at  speaking  in  the  social  meetings  quickened 
his  intellectual  faculties;  and  the  whole  tenor  of  Boston 
life,  as  he  beheld  it,  tended  to  the  improvement  of  his 
manners  and  his  heart :  so  that  when  he  left  the  city 
for  Chicago  he  had  reached  a  much  higher  level  than 
he  occupied  when  he  went  forth  from  his  widowed 
mother's  home,  in  1855,  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the 
world.  He  was,  moreover,  a  Christian  with  a  will  to 
dare  and  a  hand  to  do  any  thing  to  which  the  Lord 
might  call  him.  Under  one  point  of  view,  Boston  was 
the  university  in  which  he  studied:  it  is  the  place 
where  he  was  converted,  and  where  he  began  to  exer- 
cise his  wonderful  gift  as  a  public  speaker.  Nor  were 
his  rude  utterances  here  entirely  fruitless ;  for  he  says 
in  one  of  his  recent  discourses :  — 


52  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

"I  remember  once,  when  I  was  first  converted,  I 
spoke  in  a  sabbath  school,  and  there  seemed  to  be  a 
great  deal  of  interest,  and  quite  a  number  rose  for 
prayer ;  and  I  remember  I  went  out  quite  rejoiced. 
But  an  old  man  followed  me  out :  I  have  never  seen 
him  since ;  he  caught  hold  of  my  hand,  and  gave  me  a 
little  bit  of  advice.  I  didn't  know  what  he  meant  at 
the  time,  but  he  said,  '  Young  man,  when  you  speak 
again,  honor  the  Holy  Ghost.'  I  was  hastening  off  to 
another  church  to  speak ;  and,  all  the  way  over,  it  kept 
ringing  in  my  ears,  —  '  Honor  the  Holy  Ghost.'  " 

Though  his  heart  beats  warmly  towards  the  city  of 
Chicago,  where  so  much  of  his  life's  work  has  been 
accomplished,  Mr.  Moody  will  ever  love  Boston  as  the 
spot  where  he  first  gave  himself  to  the  service  of  his 
Master ;  and  he  doubtless  feels  in  the  hearty  welcome 
which  he  now  receives,  and  in  the  eagerness  with 
which  all  classes  throng  to  hear  him,  ample  com- 
pensation for  any  want  of  sympathy  he  might  have 
once  experienced.  From  1856  to  1877,  perhaps  no 
living  man  has  made  a  change  so  unexpected  and  so 
wonderful. 

Of  Boston  he  would  now  perhaps  in  spirit  say,  "  In 
a  certain  sense,  I  look  upon  it  as  my  home.  Entering 
it  when  a  boy  in  search  of  an  occupation,  and  gaining 
here  my  first  knowledge  of  men  and  business,  as  well 
as  of  that  religion  which  has  since  been  such  a  joy  to 
me,  I  cannot  hear  the  dear  old  city  named,  but  that 
some  memories  of  my  early  life  will  come  to  me  that 


MR.  MOODY  AT  THE  AGE  OF  SEVENTEEN.    53 

I  shall  always  cherish.  Though,  during  many  years 
past,  other  places  and  other  associations  have  occu- 
pied rny  mind,  still  neither  these,  nor  the  lapse  of  time 
itself,  have  lessened  the  deep  interest  I  feel  in  Boston.' ' 

It  was  in  September,  1856,  that  young  Moody,  then 
ill  his  twentieth  year,  made  up  his  mind  to  seek  his 
fortune  in  the  rising  city  of  Chicago ;  and  on  his 
arrival  there  he  easily  found  a  situation  as  a  salesman 
in  the  boot  and  shoe  store  of  Mr.  Wiswall  on  Lake 
Street.  It  has  been  stated  that  the  unkindly  criticisms 
he  received  in  Boston  led  him  to  go  West;  yet  the  love 
of  adventure,  coupled  with  the  hope  of  making  money, 
was  undoubtedly  the  real  motive. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Chicago  he  united  by  letter 
with  the  Plymouth  Congregational  Church,  and  began 
to  speak  in  the  sabbath  school  and  social  meetings. 
Though  his  uncouth  language  sometimes  gave  offence, 
his  originality  and  force  were  at  once  admitted.  He 
hired  four  pews  in  the  Plymouth  Church,  and  hunted 
up  young  men  and  boys  to  fill  them.  This  was  the 
commencement  of  that  missionary  work  of  which  he 
subsequently  became  the  apostle  in  Chicago.  But  he 
longed  to  be  a  teacher,  and  he  soon  opened  himself  the 
way  for  it. 

Entering  a  little  Sunday  school  in  North  Wells  Street, 
he  said  to  the  superintendent,  — 

"  Would  you,  sir,  like  to  have  another  teacher 
here?" 

"  No,  I  thank  you,"  he  replied:  "  we  have  almost  as 
many  teachers  now  as  pupils." 


54  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

"  There  is,  then,  no  chance  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed  there  is,  if  you  will  bring  your  pupils 
with  you." 

The  face  of  the  young  salesman  brightened  as  he  left 
the  school ;  and  on  the  following  sabbath  he  returned 
to  it,  attended  by  nearly  a  score  of  ragged  children  that 
he  had  recruited  from  the  lanes  and  highways  of  the 
city ;  and  with  this  motley  group  he  began  his  work  as 
a  teacher  in  the  sabbath  school,  averring,  that,  since 
these  neglected  ones  had  souls  to  save,  it  was  the  duty 
of  the  Christian  "  to  go  in  for  them." 


CHAPTER  III. 

MR.  MOODY'S  FIRST  MISSION-SCHOOL.  —  HIS  NORTH  MARKET  SCHOOL. 
—  ANECDOTES.  -HIS  ARMY  WORK. 

Mr.  Moody's  Study  of  the  Bible.  — His  Mission.  —  His  Business  Rela- 
tions. —  His  School  at  the  Rookery.  —  His  Method  of  managing  it.— 
Description  of  the  School. — Mr.  Reynolds's  Opinion.  —  Recruiting 
for  Pupils.  — Removal  to  the  Hall  of  North  Market.  — J.  V.  Farwell, 
Superintendent.  —  Increase  of  the  School.  —  Energy  of  Mr.  Moody. 

—  His  Character  as  a  Man  of  Business.  —  He  pays  a  Bill  for  a  Cus- 
tomer. —  He  devotes  his  Whole  Time  to  God.  —  His  Life  in  Danger. 

—  An  Assault.  —  One  Idea.  —  Interview  with  Infidels.  —  Prayer  in  a 
Saloon.  —  A  Drunkard  saved.  —  Interview  with  Bishop  Duggan.  — 
Thanksgiving  at  the  Rookery.  —  Visit  of  Mr.  Lincoln.  —  Prayer  in 
the  Cars.  —  The  Old  Pony.  —  Mr.  Moody's  Army  Life.  —  Marriage. 

—  Answer  to  Prayer.  —  Chapel.  —  Entrance  into  Richmond. 

"  Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges,  and  compel  them  to  come  in." 

Jesus  Christ. 

"  Only  an  armor-bearer,  now  in  the  field, 
Guarding  a  shining  helmet,  sword,  and  shield ; 
Waiting  to  hear  the  thrilling  battle-cry, 
Ready  then  to  answer,  '  Master,  here  am  I.' "  —  P.  P.  Bliss. 

The  city  of  Chicago,  then  containing  about  175,000 
people  of  various  nationalities,  little  dreamed  of  the 
benison  it  was  receiving  when  the  young  Christian 
clerk,  D wight  L.  Moody,  entered  it.  Rough  and  ignor- 
ant, to  be  sure,  he  was ;   but  his  counsellor  was  the 

55 


56  LIFE  OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN'   MOODY. 

Lord,  his  guide  the  Bible.  This  precious  book  he 
carried  in  his  bosom ;  he  studied  it  as  a  message  sent 
direct  to  him  from  heaven.  He  received  its  teachings, 
not  as  questionable  or  mythical,  but  as  real,  practical, 
and  obligatory.  It  was  the  voice  of  God  speaking  into 
the  innermost  chambers  of  his  soul.  It  meant  precise- 
ly what  it  said  ;  and  this  he  felt  must  be  translated  by 
him,  just  as  far  as  he  had  power,  into  immediate  prac- 
tice. He  was  and  is  emphatically  a  man  of  One 
Book,  and  this  the  best  one.  By  it  his  ends  were 
shaped,  by  it  his  mental  powers  were  quickened,  by  it 
his  steps  were  guided. 

It  is  true  that  Mr.  Moody  at  this  period  was  but  a 
novice  in  religion,  but  a  tyro  in  the  study  of  the 
Scripture ;  but  he  had  found  out  and  felt  the  grandeur 
of  the  truth  that  every  man,  however  abject  and  im- 
mured in  sensualism,  had  an  immortal  soul  in  need  of 
cleansing,  and  that  he  himself  was  sent  into  the  world 
to  labor  as  he  could,  and  where  he  could,  to  bring  any 
that  would  hear  him  to  a  knowledge  of  the  Saviour. 

His  time,  however,  was  mostly  engrossed  as  a  sales- 
man in  the  Lake-street  store,  where  he  evinced  that 
good  practical  common  sense  and  capacity  for  business 
which  secured  the  approbation  of  his  employer.  On 
being  promoted  to  a  position  in  the  jobbing  department 
of  the  store,  Mr.  Moody  found,  while  seeking  customers 
at  various  public  places  in  the  city,  more  opportunities 
to  work  for  Jesus ;  and,  happening  to  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of  J.  B.  Stillson  in  the  spring  of  1857,  the 


MR.   MOODY'S   FIRST   MISSION-SCHOOL.  57 

two,  as  Paul  and  Silas,  toiled  together  for  the  Lord ; 
and  visiting,  as  they  could,  the  poor  and  destitute, 
assisted  in  establishing  or  augmenting  many  mission 
sabbath  schools  during  the  ensuing  season. 

But  this  was  not  enough  for  the  irrepressible  evan- 
gelist :  he  desired  to  have  a  sabbath  school  of  his  own ; 
and  so,  plunging  in  amongst  gambling-dens  and  other 
vicious  haunts  of  the  notorious  "  Sands  "  in  the  north- 
ern section  of  the  city,  he  hired  a  wretched  old  saloon 
for  a  school  on  Sundays  and  for  meetings  in  the  even- 
ing. 

This  was  the  roughest  section,  the  "  Five  Points,"  of 
Chicago  :  the  people  were  rude,  intemperate,  degraded ; 
the  children  ragged,  rollicksome,  and  unmanageable. 
They  could  be  brought  into  the  school  only  by  the 
distribution  of  sugar-plums,  toys,  and  other  kindred 
allurements  ;  they  could  be  kept  in  school  only  by  the 
most  dexterous  management.  As  to  order,  that  was 
at  first  out  of  the  question.  They  could  neither  read 
nor  write  ;  they  knew  nothing  of  restraint  or  of  good 
behavior.  They  came  together  a  disorderly  mob  of 
mischievous  urchins,  unwashed,  unkempt,  uncivilized, 
and  ready  for  any  kind  of  roguery.  What  could  be 
done  in  that  old  rickety  building,  destitute  of  seats 
or  any  of  the  furniture  of  the  modern  sabbath  school  ? 
Well,  the  tact  and  energy  that  gathered  them  from 
their  miserable  homes  controlled  and  gradually  inter- 
ested them.  Mr.  Moody  in  his  heart  loved  children : 
he   understood  them ;    he  had  patience   to  bear  with 


i 


58  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

them ;  and  he  soon  found  the  means  of  making  them 
love  him.  By  the  aid  of  music  from  his  friend  Tru- 
deau,  of  stories  by  himself,  of  prayers  when  he  could 
keep  them  still  enough  to  hear,  of  maple  sugar,  of 
pictures  and  apt  speeches  from  good  Mr.  Stillson,  he 
by  degrees  succeeded  in  bringing  order  out  of  chaos, 
in  gaining  the  affection  of  his  pupils,  and  in  making 
his  mission-school  the  sensation  of  that  degraded  sec- 
tion of  the  city. 

"  The  first  meeting  I  ever  saw  him  at,"  said  Mr. 
Reynolds  recently,  "  was  in  a  little  old  shanty  that  had 
been  abandoned  by  a  saloon-keeper.  Mr.  Moody  had 
got  the  place  to  hold  a  meeting  in  at  night.  I  went 
there  a  little  late  ;  and  the  first  thing  I  saw  was  a  man 
standing  up  with  a  few  tallow  candles  around  him,  hold- 
ing a  negro  boy,  and  trying  to  read  to  him  the  story  of 
the  Prodigal  Son ;  and  a  great  many  words  he  could 
not  make  out,  and  had  to  skip.  I  thought,  4  If  the  Lord 
can  ever  use  such  an  instrument  as  that  for  his  honor 
and  glory,  it  will  astonish  me.'  After  that  meeting  was 
over,  Mr.  Moody  said  to  me,  '  Reynolds,  I  have  got 
only  one  talent ;  I  have  no  education  ;  but  I  love  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  I  want  to  do  something  for 
him  :  I  want  you  to  pray  for  me.'  I  have  never  ceased, 
from  that  day  to  this,  to  pray  for  that  devoted  Chris- 
tian soldier.  I  have  watched  him  since  then,  have  had 
counsel  with  him,  and  know  him  thoroughly  ;  and,  for 
consistent  walk  and  conversation,  I  have  never  met  a 
man  to  equal  him.     It  astounds  me  to  look  back  and 


me.  Moody's  north  market  school.         59 

see  what  Mr.  Moody  was  thirteen  years  ago,  and  then 
what  he  is  under  God  to-day,  —  shaking  Scotland  to  its 
very  centre,  and  reaching  now  over  to  Ireland.  The 
last  time  I  heard  from  him,  his  injunction  was,  4  Pray 
for  me  every  day ;  pray  now  that  God  will  keep  me 
humble.'  " 

Mr.  Moody  looked  upon  every  boy  and  girl,  however 
rude  and  ragged,  as  a  jewel  for  him  to  seek,  save,  and 
finally  present  to  his  Lord  and  Master.  Hence  he 
entered  fearlessly  the  dens  of  infamy  in  search  of 
them  ;  he  induced  some  of  his  Christian  friends  to  do 
the  same ;  his  school  continued  to  increase  in  numbers 
and  in  popularity ;  a  larger  room  was  needed,  and  at 
length  permission  was  obtained  of  Mayor  Haines  to 
occupy  the  ample  hall  of  the  old  North  Market.  This 
was  used  for  dancing,  and  there  were  in  it  no  chairs 
nor  benches ;  so  that  the  motley  group  was  obliged  to 
stand  beside  the  walls,  or  sit  promiscuously,  as  in  the 
Eastern  climes,  upon  the  floor.  A  prominent  Christian 
merchant,  Mr.  John  V.  Farwell,  lent  his  aid  to  furnish 
the  hall  with  seats ;  and,  on  visiting  the  school  the 
ensuing  sabbath,  was  surprised  to  hear  himself  nomi- 
nated by  Mr.  Moody,  and  appointed  by  the  clamorous 
throng,  their  superintendent.  He  had  the  grace  to 
accept  the  office.  This  enabled  Mr.  Moody  and  his 
co-worker  Stillson  to  scour  the  wretched  region  called 
"  the  Sands  "  for  raw  recruits ;  and  so  effectually  did 
they  labor  in  this  line,  so  persistently  did  they  hold 
prayer-meetings  in  every  shanty  and  saloon  to  which 


60  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT    LYMAN   MOODY. 

they  gained  access,  so  wisely  did  they  select  instructors, 
and  so  admirably,  in  conjunction  with  their  generous 
superintendent  and  Mr.  Trudeau  the  sweet  singer,  did 
they  manage  the  school,  that  within  a  year  it  had 
an  average  number  of  more  than  six  hundred  pupils. 
These  were  divided  into  as  many  as  eighty  classes, 
which  teachers  from  the  various  churches  in  the  city 
volunteered  to  instruct.  The  school  became  a  curiosity, 
and  at  every  session  there  were  persons  present  who 
had  come  from  far  to  see  it.  "  The  city  missionary," 
says  Mr.  Stillson,  "  began  to  be  alarmed  for  it,  lest, 
being  worked  at  such  a  high  pressure,  it  should  blow 
up."  But  the  sterling  sense  of  Deacon  Moody,  as  the 
children  called  him,  was  a  guaranty  for  that.  During 
the  six  years  of  its  existence,  it  is  estimated  that  an 
average  of  about  two  thousand  children  annually 
belonged  to  it ;  and  who  but  God  can  tell  the  fruit  that 
seeds  of  truth  there  sown  shall  bring  ? 

The  history  of  that  North  Market  Mission  School  is 
more  like  a  romance  than  a  reality.  It  was  carried  on 
by  men  who  had  burning  in  their  hearts  the  principle 
that  Christ  came  to  save  the  lost,  and  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  follower  of  Christ  to  go  and  seek  for  them. 
The  stirring  incidents  in  that  special  work  would  fill  a 
volume.  Of  Mr.  Moody's  energy  in  his  school,  one 
writer  says ,  "  I  have  rarely  beheld  such  a  scene  of 
high-pressure  evangelization.  It  made  me  think  irre- 
sistibly of  those  breathing  steamboats  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, that  must  either  go  fast  or  burst.     Mr.  Moody 


ME.   MOODY'S   NOETH  MARKET   SCHOOL.  61 

himself  moved  energetically  about  the  school  most  of 
the  time,  seeing  that  everybody  was  at  work,  throwing 
in  a  word  where  he  thought  it  necessary,  and  inspiring 
every  one  with  his  own  enthusiasm.  As  soon  as  the 
classes  had  been  going  on  for  a  specific  number  of  min- 
utes, he  mounted  a  platform,  rang  a  bell,  and  addressed 
the  children.  He  is  a  keen,  dark-eyed  man,  with  a 
somewhat  shrill  voice,  but  with  thorough  earnestness 
of  manner  and  delivery.  His  remarks  were  few,  but 
pointed  and  full  of  interrogation." 

As  Mr.  Moody  could  not  hold  evening  services  in  the 
hall,  he  repaired  to  his  old  saloon  ;  and  calling  the 
abandoned  and  the  lost  together,  and  placing  a  police- 
man at  the  door,  he  by  heartfelt  appeals,  suited  to  their 
various  capacities,  implored  them  to  leave  their  vicious 
courses,  and  commence  a  new  life  in  Jesus. 

It  is  to  be  remembered,  that  while  Mr.  Moody  was 
carrying  on  this  efficient  work  for  Christ,  he  was  still 
performing  his  full  share  of  business  in  the  jobbing 
department  of  the  Lake-street  store.  He  was  ever  on 
the  alert  for  customers,  and  as  sharp  as  steel  at  a  bar- 
gain, although  no  one  ever  charged  him  with  dishon- 
esty.    One  of  his  old  employers  said,  — 

"  We  regarded  him  as  an  excellent  salesman,  but  a 
poor  judge  of  credits.  In  one  particular  instance  he 
sold  goods  amounting  to  over  two  hundred  dollars,  to  a 
man  whom  we  found  rated  as  ■  doubtful '  in  the  Mer- 
cantile Directory ;  and  we  therefore  refused  to  send  the 


62  LIFE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

goods.  But  Moody  at  once  came  to  the  rescue  of  his 
customer,  declared  him  to  be  as  good  as  the  Bank  of 
England,  and  offered  to  be  responsible  for  the  bill.  On 
this  we  sent  the  goods ;  and  when  the  money  was  due, 
sure  enough,  it  was  Moody  who  paid  it." 

In  1858  he  entered  the  store  of  Mr.  C.  N.  Henderson, 
and  became  to  some  extent  a  commercial  traveller; 
always  arranging  his  business,  however,  so  as  to  be 
at  home  to  manage  his  beloved  mission-school  on  the 
sabbath.  In  the  mean  time  he  continued  to  study,  as 
he  could,  the  Bible.  Other  books,  such  as  "  The  Life  of 
Trust,"  were  recommended  to  him :  he  would  turn  over 
a  few  pages,  and  then  again  take  up  his  precious  Bible. 

When  not  engaged  in  business  in  the  store,  he  was 
often  still  and  thoughtful ;  but,  on  entering  the  room 
occupied  by  himself  and  several  other  clerks  at  night, 
he  would  engage  with  them  in  practical  jokes  and  lively 
conversation,  always,  however,  advocating  total  absti- 
nence, and  denouncing  any  amusement  that  might  lead 
to  habits  of  dissipation.  On  retiring  to  rest,  he  used 
to  open  his  well-worn  Testament,  and  read  himself  to 
sleep.  "This,"  said  one  of  the  number  to  the  writer, 
"  was  then,  with  us  (bad  grammar  excepted),  his  only 
singularity." 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Heuderson,  Mr.  Moody  went 
into  the  store  of  Buel,  Hill,  and  Granger ;  but,  finding 
his  love  of  missionary  work  increasing,  he  at  length 
concluded  to  devote  his  whole  time  to  it,  trusting  in 
the  Lord  for  his  support. 


MR.    MOODY'S   NORTH  MARKET   SCHOOL.  63 

"  I  have  decided,"  said  he  to  Mr.  B.  F.  Jacobs,  "  to 
give  to  God  all  my  time." 

"  But  how  are  you  going  to  live  ?  "  replied  his  friend. 

"  God  will  provide  for  me,  if  he  wishes  me  to  keep 
on ;  and  I  shall  keep  on  till  I  am  obliged  to  stop." 

"  He  left  our  house,"  said  Mr.  Hill,  "  under  the  pleas- 
antest  circumstances,  having  maintained  his  Christian 
character  unblemished ;  and  we  all  bade  him  God-speed 
in  the  work  to  which  we  believe  he  was  called." 

Not  money,  not  emolument,  not  fame,  but  the  North 
Market  Mission-School,  was  the  object  of  his  thought ; 
the  recovery  of  the  lost,  his  spring  of  action.  'The 
incidents  connected  with  that  school  are,  as  I  have 
already  said,  almost  romantic.  Although  the  bare- 
footed and  ill-fed  children  soon  came  to  love  their  ben- 
efactor, and  to  speak  of  him  as  their  "  Deacon  Moody," 
the  parents  sometimes  interfered  with  his  benevolent 
plans,  and  caused  him  to  escape  from  their  wretched 
haunts  for  his  life.  Three  ruffians  once  confronted  him 
as  he  was  looking  after  the  wild  urchins,  and  resolved 
to  kill  him. 

"Look  here,"  said  he  to  them,  "just  give  a  fellow 
a  chance  to  say  his  prayers,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes !  go  on,"  they  shouted ;  and,  kneeling 
down,  he  prayed  so  earnestly,  that  they  left  the  room 
and  in  it  the  children  for  his  sabbath  school. 

On  another  occasion,  while  soliciting  children  from 
a  Roman  Catholic  family,  a  strong  man  made  an  assault 
upon  him  with  a  deadly  weapon;  when  Mr.  Moody 
sprang  away,  and  saved  himself  by  flight. 


64  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

Once,  when  threatened  with  violence  at  a  miserable 
den,  he  brought  in  music  to  subdue  his  enemy. 

"We  are  }rour  friends,"  said  he  to  the  ruffians; 
"  come,  let  us  have  a  song."  Mr.  Stillson  then  with 
his  sweet  voice  sang,  — 

"Oh,  how  happy  are  they 
Who  the  Saviour  obey, 
And  have  laid  up  their  treasures  above  !  " 

and  Mr.  Moody  followed  with  prayer.  The  rough 
men  were  moved  by  the  gentle  words,  and  allowed  the 
children  to  be  taken  to  the  mission-school,  in  which 
they  subsequently  were  all  converted. 

It  was  by  such  kind  of  work,  hunting  among  the 
wrecks  of  humanity,  seeking  for  lost  souls  as  the  pearl- 
diver  for  the  treasures  of  the  deep,  that  Mr.  Moody 
re-enforced  his  mission-school.  "  I  made  up  my 
mind,"  said  he  on  one  occasion,  "  that  I  would  go  on  as 
if  there  were  not  another  man  in  the  world  but  I  to  do 
the  work.  I  knew  I  had  to  give  an  account  of  stew- 
ardship. I  suppose  they  say  of  me, '  Oh  !  he  is  a  fanatic, 
he  is  a  radical ;  he  has  only  one  idea.'  Well,  it  is  a 
glorious  idea.  I  would  rather  have  that  said  of  me, 
than  to  be  a  man  of  ten  thousand  ideas,  and  do  nothing 
with  them." 

In  one  of  his  recruiting  expeditions,  Mr.  Moody  met 
an  old  infidel  who  kept  a  gin-shop.  "  Well,"  said  he 
to  him,  "  you  are  talking  about  the  Bible :  I  will  read 
the  New  Testament,  if  you  will  read  Paine's  '  Age  of 


MR.   MOODY  AND  THE  JNFIDELS.  65 

Beason.'  "  —  "  Agreed,"  said  Mr.  Moody  ;  but  he  soon 
found  he  had  the  worst  of  the  bargain.  On  inviting 
the  infidel  to  go  to  church,  he  said  to  him,  "  You  can 
have  a  meeting  in  my  saloon,  if  you  desire  it."  — 
"  Well,"  replied  the  evangelist,  "to-morrow  morning 
at  eleven  o'clock  I'll  be  with  you."  —  "  But,"  returned 
the  infidel,  "  I  want  to  do  part  of  it  myself."  —  "  Very 
well,"  said  Mr.  Moody:  "you  and  your  friends  may 
take  the  first  forty-five  minutes,  and  I  will  take  the  last 
fifteen."  This  was  satisfactory ;  "  and  that  Sunday 
morning,"  says  Mr.  Moody,  "  I  took  a  little  boy  with 
me,  that  God  had  taught  how  to  pray.  I  remember 
how  weak  I  felt  as  I  went  down  to  that  infidel  saloon. 
The  owner  had  gone  to  a  neighboring  house  where  he 
had  engaged  two  rooms  with  folding-doors,  and  had  them 
filled  with  infidels  and  deists.  They  first  began  to  ask 
me  questions ;  but  I  said,  4  Now,  you  go  on  for  forty- 
five  minutes,  and  I  shall  listen.'  So  they  got  to  wran- 
gling among  themselves.  Some  thought  there  was  a 
Jesus,  some  not.  When  the  time  was  up,  I  said,  4  Now 
look  here,  my  friends,  your  time  is  up :  we  always  open 
our  meetings  with  prayer.'  After  I  had  prayed,  the 
little  boy  cried  to  God  to  have  mercy  on  these  men. 
They  got  up  one  by  one,  —  one  going  out  by  this  door, 
one  by  another.  They  were  all  gone  very  soon.  The 
old  infidel  put  his  hand  on  my  shoulder,  and  said  I 
might  have  his  children.  He  has  since  been  one  of 
the  best  friends  I  have  had  in  Chicago.  So  you  see 
it  must  be  personal  effort  with  us  all." 


66  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

This  kind  of  labor  Mr.  Moody  with  untiring  zeal 
put  forth  ;  and  fruit  in  golden  clusters  sprang  from  it. 

Going  with  a  friend  into  a  drinking-den  one  Saturday 
night,  they  ascertained  that  the  keeper  was  the  son  of 
Christian  parents,  and  then  said  to  him,  "  Do  they  know 
that  you  are  selling  liquor  ?  " 

They  left  him  meditating  on  the  subject,  but  had  not 
proceeded  far  when  it  occurred  to  them  that  they  had 
not  thought  to  pray  with  him.  Returning,  Mr.  Moody 
knelt  upon  the  sawdust  of  the  saloon,  and  presented 
the  rumseller  at  the  seat  of  mercy. 

"  I  never,"  said  Mr.  Stillson,  "  heard  Moody  pray 
like  that  before  :  it  seemed  as  if  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  upon  him."  The  prayer  was  an- 
swered; and  soon  the  man  declared  that  he  would 
rather  die  a  pauper  than  to  gain  his  livelihood  by  sell- 
ing rum. 

"  I  believe  in  that  Sunday  school,"  said  another  man, 
throwing  down  a  piece  of  silver  from  an  attic  window 
as  Mr.  Moody  passed  along,  "  and  I  want  to  take  a 
little  stock  in  it." 

The  missionary  had,  a  few  days  before,  discovered 
the  poor  fellow  drunk,  and  his  wife  and  children  starv- 
ing in  their  wretched  home.  Help  for  the  body  and 
the  soul  was  rendered ;  and  subsequently  this  wretched 
man  through  his  little  investment  in  the  Sunday  school 
became  the  owner  of  a  happy  home,  and,  what  is  better 
still,  an  earnest  worker  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

Amongst   the  many  annoyances   which   Mr.  Moody 


MR.  MOODY'S   NORTH  MARKET  SCHOOL.  67 

met  with  in  his  mission-work,  was  the  occasional  break- 
ing of  the  windows  of  his  schoolroom  by  the  boys  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  families,  who  were  very  numerous 
in  that  neighborhood.  He  went  and  laid  the  case 
before  the  Roman  bishop,  who  promised  to  attend  to  it 
if  he  would  join  the  Catholic  Church. 

"But  that  might  hinder  me,"  said  Mr.  Moody,  "in 
my  work  among  the  Protestants." 

"  Oh !  not  at  all,"  replied  the  bishop. 

"  What !  do  you  mean  to  say  that  I  could  go  to  the 
noon  prayer-meeting,  and  pray  with  all  kinds  of  Chris- 
tian people,  just  as  I  do  now  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  " 

"  Then  Protestants  and  Catholics  can  pray  together, 
can  they  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

44  Well,  bishop,  no  man  wants  to  belong  to  the  true 
Church  more  than  I  do.  I  wish  you  would  pray  for  me 
right  here,  that  God  would  show  me  his  true  Church, 
and  help  me  to  be  a  worthy  member  of  it." 

The  bishop  knelt  and  prayed  with  him ;  he  stopped 
the  breaking  of  the  schoolroom  windows,  and  became 
his  sincere  friend. 

On  hearing  this  incident  in  London,  a  Catholic  priest 
said  to  Mr.  Moody,  u  If  you  would  only  join  the  true 
Church,  you  would  be  the  greatest  man  in  England." 
This  Mr.  Moody  had  no  desire  to  be. 

Sometimes  this  earnest  worker  held  at  his  old  saloon, 
or  "  rookery  "  as  they  called  it,  a  Thanksgiving  jubilee, 


68  LITE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

—  not  for  the  sake  of  feasting,  but  simply  to  recount 
the  favors  God  had  shown  to  them.  On  one  of  these 
occasions,  a  poor  scholar  who  had  been  converted  rose 
and  said :  — 

"  There  was  that  big  fellow  Butcher  Kilroy,  who 
acted  so  bad  that  nobody  would  have  him,  and  he  had 
to  be  turned  out  of  one  class  after  another,  till  I  was 
afraid  he  would  be  turned  out  of  school.  It  took  me  a 
long  time  to  get  him  to  come,  and  I  begged  for  him  to 
stay.  I  used  to  pray  to  Jesus  every  day  to  give  to  him 
a  new  heart ;  and  I  felt  pretty  sure  he  would,  if  we 
didn't  turn  him  out.  By  and  by  Butcher  Kilroy  began 
to  want  to  be  a  Christian,  and  now  he  is  converted ; 
and  that  is  what  makes  this  Thanksgiving  the  happiest 
one  in  all  my  life." 

A  notable  event  in  the  history  of  this  school  was  the 
visit  made  to  it  by  Pres.  Lincoln  after  his  election  in 
1860.  He  was  received  with  deafening  cheers  by  the 
delighted  pupils  ;  and  he  then  made  to  them  one  of  his 
characteristic  little  addresses,  telling  them  they  were  in 
the  right  place,  and  learning  from  the  Bible  those 
things  which,  if  observed,  would  make  them  good  and 
honorable  men  and  women.  Subsequently  sixty  of 
those  pupils  joined,  in  answer  to  his  call,  the  Union 
army. 

The  end  and  aim  of  Mr.  Moody's  life  was  the  con- 
version of  souls  to  Christ.     No  fitting  opportunity  was 


MR.   MOODY'S  ACTIVITY.  69 

neglected.  In  the  dens  of  infamy,  the  hospitals, 
among  the  boatmen,  the  mechanics,  the  traders  and 
teachers,  in  the  railway-car,  on  the  steamer,  wherever 
he  was,  wherever  he  went,  in  season  or  out  of  season, 
he  had  his  word  to  say  for  Jesus. 

"  I  was  in  a  railway-train  one  day,"  said  a  good 
Christian,  "  when  a  stout,  cheery-looking  stranger  came 
in,  and  sat  down  in  the  seat  beside  me.  We  were  pass- 
ing through  a  beautiful  country,  to  which  he  called  my 
attention,  saying, — 

" 4  Did  you  ever  think  what  a  good  heavenly  Father 
we  have,  to  give  us  such  a  pleasant  world  to  live  in  ? ' 

"  *  Yes,  indeed,'  said  I. 

"  4  Are  you  a  Christian  ? ' 

"'No.' 

"  4  But  you  ought  to  be  one  at  once.  I  am  to  get  off 
at  the  next  station,'  he  continued.  4  If  you  will  kneel 
down  right  here,  I  will  pray  to  the  Lord  to  make  you 
a  Christian.' 

"  Scarcely  knowing  what  I  did,  I  knelt  down  beside 
him  there  in  the  car  filled  with  passengers;  and  he 
prayed  for  me  with  all  his  heart.  Just  then  the  train 
drew  up  at  the  station ;  and  he  had  only  time  to  get  off 
before  it  started  on  again. 

44  Suddenly  coming  to  myself  out  of  what  seemed  more 
like  a  dream  than  a  reality,  I  rushed  out  on  the  car- 
platform,  and  shouted  after  him,  4  Tell  me  who  you 
are ! ' 

44  4  My  name  is  Moody.' 


70  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

"  I  never  could  shake  off  the  conviction  which  then 
took  hold  upon  me,  until  the  strange  man's  prayer  was 
answered,  and  I  had  become  a  Christian." 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  instituted 
in  1858,  appointed  Mr.  Moody  chairman  of  its  visiting 
committee,  and  found  in  him  an  efficient  worker  and 
supporter.  He  purchased  an  old  pony,  and  mounted 
thereupon  was  often  seen  riding  through  the  miserable 
lanes  and  alleys  of  the  North  Side,  a  bevy  of  ragged  chil- 
dren hanging  to  his  saddle,  and  rejoicing  in  the  loving 
words  of  their  own  "  Deacon  Moody."  The  number  of 
families  visited  the  first  year  was  554  ;  and  $2,350  were 
dispensed  for  the  assistance  of  the  needy.  Mr.  Moody 
could  not  be  induced  to  receive  any  compensation  for 
his  services  ;  and,  though  holding  money  in  reserve  for 
others,  made  his  bed  of  the  benches  in  the  room  of  the 
noon  prayer-meeting,  and  lived  upon  the  simplest  fare. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  in  1861,  the 
energies  of  the  evangelist  were  directed  to  the  alle- 
viation of  the  sufferings  and  the  advancement  of  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  soldiers.  As  chairman  of  the 
devotional  committee  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  he  commenced  holding  prayer-meetings  at 
Camp  Douglas,  and  had  soon  the  pleasure  of  seeing  a 
chapel  raised,  at  a  cost  of  $2,300,  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  troops.     It  was  the  first  camp-chapel  erected. 

In  the  camp-meetings  it  is  said  that  Mr.  Moody 
seemed  almost  ubiquitous.  He  was  in  his  proper  ele- 
ment.    "  He  would  hasten,"  says  a  friend,  "  from  one 


mr.  Moody's  army  work.  71 

barrack  and  camp  to  another,  day  and  night,  week-days 
and  Sundays,  praying,  exhorting,  conversing  personally 
with  the  men  about  their  souls,  and  revelling  in  the 
abundant  work  and  swift  success  which  the  war  had 
brought  within  his  reach." 

Mr.  Moody  was  sent  as  the  first  regular  delegate  to 
the  army  from  Chicago ;  and  after  the  battle  of  Fort 
Donelson,  Feb.  15,  1862,  he  went  with  others  from 
Chicago  to  minister  to  the  sick  and  wounded  on  the 
field.  He  was  the  same  earnest,  sympathizing  worker 
there  ;  and  many  a  dying  soldier's  heart  was  comforted 
by  his  kindly  sympathy  and  fervent  prayers.  The 
scenes  he  witnessed  made  a  deep  impression  on  his 
mind ;  and  he  now  frequently  recurs  to  them  in  illus- 
tration of  religious  truth. 

"  At  last,"  said  he  on  one  occasion,  "  I  went  into 
the  battle-field,  and  helped  to  bear  away  the  sick  and 
wounded ;  and,  after  I  had  been  over  one  or  two  battle- 
fields, I  began  to  realize  what  it  meant.  I  could  hear 
the  dying  men,  and  their  cry  for  water ;  and,  when  I 
heard  of  a  battle,  the  whole  thing  was  stamped  upon 
my  mind ;  but  I  tell  you  how  the  Son  of  God  suffered, 
and  some  of  you  will  go  out  laughing." 

Resting  briefly,  Mr.  Moody  was  married  on  the 
twenty-eighth  day  of  August,  1862,  to  Miss  Emma  C. 
Revell,  an  estimable  lady  who  had  for  some  time  as- 
sisted him  in  his  mission-work,  and  who  has  shown 
herself  to  be  in  spirit  and  in  deed  most  worthy  of  her 
noble  husband.     They  have  two  children,  Emma  and 


72  LIFE   OF  DWIGIIT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

Willie,  to  both  of  whom  the  father  often  refers  in  his 
discourses.  "  One  day,"  says  Mr.  Daniels  in  his  in- 
structive life  of  Mr.  Moody,  "  he  found  his  little  boy 
with  an  elegantly  illustrated  Bible  on  his  lap,  digging 
out  the  eyes  of  a  picture  of  Judas  Iscariot  with  a  pair 
of  scissors.  On  being  asked  why  he  was  doing  such 
mischief,  the  little  fellow  referred  to  the  lesson  read  at 
prayers  that  morning,  which  had  been  the  betrayal  of 
the  Lord ;  and  his  indignation  at  the  conduct  of  Judas 
had  taken  this  form  of  expression." 

Mr.  Moody  was  with  the  army,  laboring '  to  the 
utmost  limit  of  his  strength,  at  the  battles  of  Shiloh, 
Pittsburg  Landing,  and  of  Murfreesboro'.  "  One  day," 
he  said,  "  at  Nashville  a  great  strong,  wicked-looking 
soldier  came  to  me  trembling.  He  said  he  had  got  a 
letter  from  his  sister  six  hundred  miles  away,  and  she 
said  that  she  prayed  to  God,  night  after  night,  that  he 
should  be  saved  ;  and  he  said  that  he  could  not  stand  to 
hear  that,  and  he  had  come  to  give  himself  to  Christ. 
And  there  and  then  we  knelt  down  together  in  prayer 
to  God,  he  crushed  and  broken  in  heart." 

Many  such  instances  of  answer  to  prayer  came  to 
his  observation  during  his  eventful  army-life.  One  of 
the  most  remarkable  is  thus  related  :  — 

"  One  night  a  party  of  our  men  found  themselves  on 
the  battle-field  in  charge  of  a  great  many  wounded 
soldiers,  who,  by  the  sudden  retreat  of  the  army,  were 
left  wholly  without  shelter  or  supplies.     Having  done 


MR.  Moody's  army  work.  73 

their  best  for  the  poor  fellows,  bringing  them  water 
from  a  distant  brook,  and  searching  the  haversacks  of 
the  dead  for  rations,  they  began  to  say  to  themselves 
and  one  another,  '  These  weak  and  wounded  men 
must  have  food,  or  they  will  die.  The  army  is  out  of 
reach,  and  there  is  no  village  for  many  miles  :  what  are 
we  to  do  ?  '  —  4  Pray  to  God,'  said  one,  '  to  send  us 
bread.' 

"  That  night  in  the  midst  of  the  dead  and  dying  they 
held  a  little  prayer-meeting,  telling  the  Lord  all  about 
the  case,  and  begging  him  to  send  them  bread  immedi- 
ately ;  though  from  whence  it  could  come,  they  had  not 
the  most  remote  idea.  All  night  long  they  plied  their 
work  of  mercy.  With  the  first  ray  of  dawn,  the  sound 
of  an  approaching  wagon  caught  their  ears  ;  and  pres- 
ently through  the  mists  of  the  morning  appeared  a 
great  Dutch  farm- wagon,  piled  to  the  very  top  with 
loaves  of  bread.  On  their  asking  the  driver  where  it 
came  from,  and  who  sent  him,  he  replied,  — 

" '  When  I  went  to  bed  last  night,  I  knew  that  the 
army  was  gone,  and  I  could  not  sleep  for  thinking  of 
the  poor  fellows  who  always  have  to  stay  behind ; 
something  seemed  to  say  to  me,  "  What  will  those 
poor  fellows  do  for  something  to  eat  ?  "  It  came  to 
me  so  strong  that  I  Avaked  up  my  old  wife,  and  told 
her  what  was  the  matter.  We  had  only  a  little  bread 
in  the  house;  and,  while  my  wife  was  making  some 
more,  I  took  my  team,  and  went  around  to  all  my 
neighbors,  making  them  get  up  and  give  me   all   the 


74  LIFE   OF   DWTGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

bread  in  their  houses,  telling  them  that  it  was  for  the 
wounded  soldiers.  When  I  got  home  my  wagon  was 
full ;  my  old  wife  piled  her  baking  on  the  top ;  and  I 
started  off  to  bring  the  bread  to  the  boys,  feeling  just 
as  if  the  Lord  himself  was  sending  me." 

Although  Mr.  Moody  was  so  intently  engaged  in 
ministering  to  the  wants  of  the  soldiers  in  the  army,  he 
by  no  means  neglected  his  beloved  mission-work  at 
home.  Feeling  the  need  of  a  chapel  for  his  converts, 
he  raised  by  subscriptions  about  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars, with  which  a  neat  and  commodious  building  was 
raised  in  Illinois  Street  in  1863,  and  a  church  on  inde- 
pendent principles  organized. 

After  the  long  and  sanguinary  work  was  done,  Mr. 
Moody  was  one  of  the  first  to  enter  Richmond ;  and  no 
one  saw  the  stars  and  stripes  float  over  it  with  greater 

joy- 

"  I  had  not  been  long  there,"  said  he  in  one  of  his 
discourses,  "  before  it  was  announced  that  the  negroes 
were  going  to  have  a  jubilee  meeting.  These  colored 
people  were  just  awakening  to  the  fact  that  they  were 
free  ;  and  I  went  down  to  the  African  Church,  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  South,  and  found  it  crowded.  One  of 
the  colored  chaplains  of  a  Northern  regiment  had 
offered  to  speak.  I  have  heard  many  eloquent  men  in 
Europe  and  in  America ;  but  I  do  not  think  I  ever 
heard  eloquence  such  as  I  heard  that  day.  He  said, 
4  Mothers,  you  rejoice   to-day :    you   are   forever  free. 


MR.   MOODY'S   ARMY   WORK.  75 

That  little  child  has  been  torn  from  your  embrace, 
and  sold  off  to  some  distant  State,  for  the  last  time ; 
your  hearts  are  never  to  be  broken  again  in  that  way : 
you  are  free ! '  The  women  clapped  their  hands,  and 
shouted  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  '  Glory,  glory  to 
God ! '  It  was  good  news  to  them,  and  they  believed 
it.  It  filled  them  full  of  joy.  Then  he  turned  to  the 
young  men,  and  said,  l  Young  men,  you  rejoice  to-day  : 
you  have  heard  the  crack  of  the  slave-driver's  whip  for 
the  last  time ;  your  posterity  shall  be  free.  Young  men, 
rejoice  to-day :  you  are  forever  free ! '  And  they  clapped 
their  hands,  and  shouted,  4  Glory  to  God ! '  They 
believed  the  good  tidings.  '  Young  maidens,'  he  said, 
1  you  rejoice  to-day  :  you  have  been  put  on  the  auction- 
block  and  sold  for  the  last  time :  you  are  free,  forever 
free  ! '  They  believed  it,  and,  lifting  up  their  voices, 
shouted,  *  Glory  be  to  God ! '  I  never  before  was  in 
such  a  meeting.  They  believed :  it  was  good  news  to 
them." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MR.  MOODY'S  CHURCH.  —  HIS  ACTIVITY  AS  A  PASTOR.  -  FARWELL 
HALL.  — VISIT  TO  ENGLAND.— HIS  HOME.  — THE  CHICAGO  FIRE.— 
THE  TABERNACLE. 

Plan  of  Mr.  Moody's  Church.  — His  Power  of  Endurance.  —  New  Year's 
Calls.  —  His  Trust  in  God  for  Daily  Support.  —  President  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  — Dedication  of  FarwellHall.  — 
Open- Air  Meetings.  —  Prayer  of  the  Rich  Man.  —  Sunday-School 
Conventions.  —  Mr.  Moody  visits  England.  —  "Out  and  Out  for 
Christ."  — How  he  prepares  a  Sermon.  — The  Man  at  the  Lamp-Post. 
—  Farwell  Hall  Burned.  —  The  New  Home.  —  Mrs.  Moody.  —  The 
Bible  Readings.  —  Love. —The  "I  ams"  of  John. — Alliance  with 
Sankey.  —  The  Great  Fire.  — Mr.  Moody's  Account  of  it.  — Visit  to 
Philadelphia. —The  Tabernacle  erected.  —  The  Order  of  Services 
held  therein.  —  He  revisits  England. 

"  This  one  thing  I  do;  forgetting  those  things  which  are  behind,  and  reaching 
forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of 
the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus."  —  St.  Paul. 

"It  does  not  take  God  a  great  while  to  qualify  a  man  for  his  work,  if  he  only 
has  the  heart  for  it."  —  D.  L.  Moody. 

Mr.  Moody  founded  a  free  and  independent  church, 
consisting  at  first  of  about  three  hundred  members,  on 
the  simple,  unsectarian,  and  fraternal  principles  of  the 
gospel.  "  This  body  of  believers,"  one  of  its  organic 
articles  declares,  "  desire  to  be  known  only  as  Chris- 
tians, without  reference  to  any  denomination.     While 

76 


POWER   OF  ENDURANCE.  77 

the  common  evangelical  doctrines  are  fully  recognized, 
the  plan  is  to  unite  in  one  all  who  are  willing  to  co- 
operate in  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  common  Master. 

Mr.  Moody  was  the  heart  and  soul  of  the  enterprise ; 
and  it  soon  became  an  institution  of  remarkable  power 
for  the  dissemination  of  the  gospel  amongst  the  poorer 
classes  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  Acting  on  the  Napo- 
leonic motto,  "  To  every  one  his  work,"  he  suffered 
no  member  of  the  fold  to  rest  in  idleness.  He  infused 
his  own  progressive  spirit  into  his  congregation,  so 
that  each  and  every  one  was  led  to  make  the  win- 
ning of  souls  to  Christ  the  objective  aim  and  end  of 
life.  The  church-bell  which  some  good  friend  had 
given  to  him  sent  forth  its  pealing  notes  for  some  kind 
of  meeting  every  evening  in  the  week ;  and  so  earnest 
were  the  pastor's  appeals,  so  prevalent  his  prayers,  so 
personal  his  work,  so  numerous  the  conversions,  that 
one  continuous  revival  was  the  grand  result. 

The  sabbath  school  soon  numbered  about  one  thou- 
sand pupils  ;  and  a  quickening  influence  was  sent  into 
the  other  churches  of  the  city.  The  amount  of  labor 
performed  by  Mr.  Moody  in  visiting  the  poor,  the  sick, 
and  the  degraded,  in  holding  extra  meetings,  in  exhor- 
tation, and  in  prayer,  seems  almost  incredible.  His 
iron  constitution,  and  the  ardor  of  his  soul  in  the  good 
work,  alone  sustained  him. 

"  I  am  used  up.  I  can't  think,  or  speak,  or  do  any 
thing  else,"  said  he  after  morning  service,  one  Sunday 
noon,  to  his  friend  Col.  Hammond.  "  You  must  take 
my  meeting  to-night :  I  have  nothing  left  in  me." 


78  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

Col.  Hammond  went  to  church  prepared  to  lead  the 
service.  The  house  was  full ;  and,  just  as  he  was 
rising  to  speak,  Mr.  Moody  came  rushing  in  with  a 
large  company  of  young  men  he  had  induced  to  follow 
him  from  the  saloons,  and  then  delivered  one  of  the 
most  affecting  sermons  that  gentleman  had  ever  heard 
him  preach.  Wherever  he  goes  he  has  a  kind  word 
for  whomsoever  he  meets,  and  also  the  happy  faculty 
of  giving  every  one  something  to  do  for  Jesus.  "  Here, 
take  this  pile  of  papers,  stand  at  that  corner  of  the 
street,  and  give  one  to  everybody  that  goes  b}V  he 
has  said  to  many  an  idler  in  the  city  ;  and,  by  thus  set- 
ting him  at  work,  has  interested  him  in  his  church,  and 
finally  brought  him  as  an  active  member  into  it. 

Mr.  Moody's  manner  of  making  calls  upon  his  people 
on  the  first  day  of  the  year  is  thus  happily  described 
by  Mr.  Hitchcock,  superintendent  of  his  sabbath 
school :  — 

"  On  reaching  a  family  belonging  to  his  congregation, 
he  would  spring  out  of  the  omnibus,  leap  up  the  stair- 
ways (for  many  of  the  families  lived  in  garrets),  rush 
into  the  room,  and  pay  his  respects  as  follows :  '  You 
know  me :  I  am  Moocbv.  This  is  Deacon  De  Golyer, 
this,  Deacon  Thane,  this  is  Brother  Hitchcock.  Are 
you  all  well  ?  Do  you  all  come  to  church  and  Sunchiy 
school  ?  Have  you  all  the  coal  you  need  for  the  win- 
ter? Let  us  pray.'  Saying  this,  Mr.  Moody  would 
offer   earnest,   tender,   sympathetic    supplication    that 


TEUST  IN  GOD  FOE  DAILY  SUPPOET.      79 

God  would  bless  the  man,  his  wife,  and  each  one  of  his 
children. 

"  Then,  springing  to  his  feet,  he  would  dash  on  his 
hat,  dart  through  the  doorway  and  down  the  stairs, 
throwing  a  hearty  '  good-by  '  behind  him,  leap  into  the 
omnibus,  and  off  to  the  next  place  on  his  list ;  the 
entire  exercise  occupying  only  about  one  minute  and  a 
half. 

"  Before  long  the  horses  were  tired  out,  for  Moody 
insisted  on  their  going  at  a  run  from  house  to  house  : 
so  the  omnibus  was  abandoned,  and  the  party  proceeded 
on  foot.  One  after  another,  his  companions  became 
exhausted  with  running  up  stairs  and  down  stairs,  and 
across  the  streets,  and  kneeling  on  bare  floors,  and  get- 
ting up  in  a  hurry,  until  reluctantly,  but  of  necessity, 
they  were  obliged  to  relinquish  their  attempt,  and  the 
tireless  pastor  was  left  to  make  the  last  of  the  two 
hundred  calls  alone ;  after  which  feat  he  returned 
home  in  the  highest  spirits,  and  with  no  sense  of  his 
fatigue,  to  laugh  at  his  exhausted  companions  for  de- 
serting him." 

Mr.  Moody  himself  occupied  a  small  cottage  on  the 
North  Side  ;  and,  as  the  good  and  faithful  Miiller  of 
Bristol,  Eng.,  trusted  in  God  for  his  support.  Nor 
was  the  trust  in  vain.  "  We  need  a  barrel  of  flour," 
said  his  wife  to  him  one  morning,  as  he  was  going  out 
to  work  for  Christ:  "will  you  attend  to  it?"  The 
request  was  soon  forgotten  ;  but,  on  returning  in  the 


80  LIFE   OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

evening,  Mrs.  Moody  said  to  him,  "  I  thank  you  for 
that  barrel  of  flour."  — " What  barrel  of  flour?"  he 
answered :  "  did  a  barrel  come  ?  "  —  "  Yes."  —  "  Well," 
he  said,  "  I  haven't  thought  of  it  since  you  spoke  of  it 
in  the  morning."  But  the  Lord  had  thought  of  it ; 
and  so  his  wants,  though  he  receives  no  salary,  have 
been  till  now  supplied. 

In  addition  to  Mr.  Moody's  earnest  labors  in  his 
church,  and  in  sabbath-school  conventions  far  and  near, 
he  infused  by  his  untiring  energy  new  life  and  spirit 
into  the  noon  prayer-meetings  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  ;  and  then  induced  that  body  to 
erect  for  its  use  a  noble  structure  upon  Madison  Street. 

"  The  only  way  to  get  a  building,"  said  a  young 
member  after  several  schemes  had  failed,  '-is  to  elect 
Mr.  Moody  president  of  the  Association."  He  was, 
against  strong  opposition  on  the  conservative  side, 
elected.  He  planned  the  work  judiciously,  and  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  beautiful  structure  dedicated 
on  the  29th  of  September,  18G7,  under  the  name  of 
"  Farwell  Hall."  In  his  address  on  the  occasion,  Mr. 
Moody  said,  "  When  I  see  young  men  by  thousands 
going  in  the  way  of  death,  I  feel  like  falling  at  the  feet 
of  Jesus,  and  crying  out  to  him  with  prayers  and  tears 
to  come  and  save  them,  and  to  help  us  to  bring  them 
to  him.  His  answer  to  our  prayers,  and  his  blessing  on 
our  work,  give  me  faith  to  believe  that  a  mighty  influ- 
ence is  to  go  out  from  us,  that  shall  extend  through 
this    county  and  every  county  in   the    State,  through 


OPEN-AIR   MEETINGS.  81 

every  State  in  the  Union,  and  finally,  crossing  the 
waters,  shall  help  to  bring  the  whole  world  to  God." 

These  words  were  prophetic.  Through  the  personal 
energy  of  Mr.  Moody,  sabbath -school  conventions  were 
held  in  every  county  in  Illinois  ;  a  wave  of  Christian 
influence  was  sent  swelling  through  the  country ;  and 
millions  in  lands  beyond  the  sea  have  been  converted, 
or  wakened  to  a  higher  life  in  Christ. 

Mr.  Moody  held  meetings  sometimes  in  the  open  air, 
and  in  general  with  great  success.  Visiting  a  certain 
town  for  the  purpose  of  reviving  the  work  of  God,  a 
pastor  said  to  him,  "  You  might  better  have  staid  at 
home :  winter  is  the  time  ;  in  summer  people  here  are 
too  busy."  Mr.  Moody  then  went  into  the  public 
square,  took  his  stand  upon  a  box,  and  began  to 
address  the  few  persons  who  had  followed  him.  A 
crowd  of  people  soon  came  up,  and  some  of  them 
were  moved  to  tears  by  his  deep  earnestness.  He 
held  another  meeting  at  the  church.  It  was  not  large 
enough  to  contain  the  people.  Other  meetings  fol- 
lowed ;  and  a  grand  awakening  led  the  pastor  to 
exclaim,  "  I  see,  dear  sir,  that  summer  is  just  the  time 
for  a  revival." 

In  his  daily  walks,  this  brave  and  tireless  laborer 
would  neglect  no  opportunity  to  address  his  fellow- 
men  on  the  subject  ever  glowing  in  his  heart ;  saying 
to  a  stranger  waiting  for  the  train,  "  Are  you  for 
Jesus?"  to  a  conductor,  "Are  you  all  right  with 
God?"  to  a  doctor  of  divinity,  "How  does  your  soul 
prosper?  " 


82  LIFE  OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

"  He  seems,"  says  one  who  knew  him  well,  "to  be 
always  carried  along  on  a  sea  of  inspiration.  He 
passes  his  life  tossing  on  its  waves,  where  he  is  as 
perfectly  at  home  as  the  stormy  petrel  on  the  ocean." 

"  Though  earnest  in  his  piety,  and  full  of  religious 
conversation,"  says  the  Rev.  David  Macrae  in  "  The 
Americans  at  Home,"  "  Mr.  Moody  has  no  patience  with 
mere  cant,  and  wants  everybody  to  prove  his  sincerity 
by  his  acts.  At  a  meeting  in  behalf  of  a  struggling 
charity,  a  wealthy  layman,  loud  in  his  religious  pro- 
fessions, offered  up  a  prayer  that  the  Lord  would  move 
the  hearts  of  the  people  to  contribute  the  sum  required. 
Mr.  Moody  rose  and  said  that  all  the  charity  wanted 
was  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars ;  and  that  he  con- 
sidered it  absurd  for  a  man  with  half  a  million  to  get 
up  and  ask  the  Lord  to  do  any  thing  in  the  matter, 
when  he  could  himself,  with  the  mere  stroke  of  the 
pen,  do  all  that  was  needed  and  ten  times  more,  and 
never  feel  the  difference." 

"  In  private  intercourse,"  says  the  Rev.  Dr.  Clark  of 
Albany,  "  I  have  always  found  Mr.  Moody  as  full  of 
gentle  courtesy  towards  others,  as  he  was  of  tender 
love  for  his  Saviour.  I  never  knew  a  man  so  free  from 
selfishness  or  self-seeking  as  he.  His  friendship  is  as 
pure  as  crystal,  and  his  generous  love  flows  out  toward 
all  whom  he  can  serve  or  benefit.  A  nobler  soul  was 
never  formed  by  grace  or  spiritual  culture.  His  very 
presence  as  a  guest  is  a  blessing  in  any  house." 

In  his  early  evangelical  efforts  Mr.  Moody  used  to 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL   CONVENTIONS.  83 

blame  the  ministers  for  the  inactivity  of  the  churches. 
At  a  certain  meeting  for  the  promotion  of  a  revival, 
one  good  brother  rose  and  criticised  him  severely  for 
his  uncharitableness,  when  Mr.  Moody  said  with  deep 
emotion,  "  From  my  heart  I  thank  that  brother.  I 
deserved  it.  Will  you,  my  brother,  pray  for  me  ? " 
All  hearts  were  touched  by  his  repentance ;  and  his 
course  in  respect  to  the  clergy  ever  since  proves  it  to  be 
sincere. 

The  Sunday-school  conventions  held  by  Mr.  Moody 
and  his  helpers  were  characterized  by  remarkable 
solemnity ;  and  under  the  impressive  appeals  of  the 
evangelist,  who  was  gaining  eveiy  year  in  spiritual 
power,  thousands  were  turned  from  darkness  into  light. 
Though  rough  in  speech,  the  common  people  heard  him 
gladly ;  }'et  he  was  not  satisfied  with  himself.  The  boy 
preacher,  Harry  Moorhouse  of  Manchester,  had  been  in 
Chicago,  and  had  spoken  with  great  acceptance  in  the 
pulpit  of  the  Illinois-street  Church.  He  had  evinced 
surprising  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  ;  he  had  re- 
vealed a  new  method  of  studying  them.  One  passage 
was  to  be  interpreted  by  another  passage,  one  revela- 
tion to  be  examined  under  the  light  of  another  reve- 
lation, and  the  golden  thread  that  held  all  parts  to- 
gether as  an  harmonious  whole  pursued  from  the 
commencement  to  the  close.  Mr.  Moody  saw  that  he 
had  read  the  Bible  hitherto  only  by  piecemeal,  and 
without  any  consistent  plan.  He  was  intensely  inter- 
ested in  the  system  of  Mr.  Moorhouse  ;  and  in  1867 


84  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

visited  England  for  the  purpose  mainly  of  learning 
what  to  him  was  a  new  way  of  finding  out  the  riches 
of  the  word  of  God.  In  London  he  met  the  late  cele- 
brated evangelist  Henry  Varley,  who  said  to  him,  "  It 
remains  for  the  world  to  see  what  the  Lord  can  do  with 
a  man  wholly  consecrated  to  Christ."  These  words 
sank  deep  into  his  soul.  He  gave  himself  more  heartily 
than  ever  to  the  study  of  his  Bagster's  Bible  and  to 
the  work  of  leading  wanderers  in  sin  to  Jesus.  During 
his  brief  visit  to  London  he  preached  almost  one  hun- 
dred sermons,  and  succeeded  in  establishing  a  daily 
union  prayer-meeting  in  that  city.  Though  the  time 
had  not  yet  come  for  him  to  do  much  for  London, 
some  fuel  was  added  to  the  flame  in  his  own  soul  by 
the  Christian  men  he  met  there,  and  his  aggressive 
power  as  an  evangelist  was  augmented. 

"  Is  this  young  man  all  O  O  ?  "  said  a  Christian  from 
the  city  of  Dublin  to  another  in  London,  pointing  to 
Mr.  Moody.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  O  O  ?  "  said  the 
one  to  whom  the  question  was  directed.  "  Is  he  out 
and  out  for  Christ?  "  replied  the  other.  "  I  tell  you," 
said  Moody,  "  it  burned  down  into  my  soul.  It  means 
a  good  deal  to  be  O  O  for  Christ." 

On  returning  from  England,  Mr.  Mood}^  with  re- 
newed vigor  carried  on  his  work,  preaching  in  his 
church  in  the  morning,  infusing  fresh  life  into  his 
beloved  sabbath  school  now  numbering  almost  a  thou- 
sand  pupils,  and  addressing  vast  audiences  at  Farwell 
Hall  in  the  evening.     He  introduced  more  of  the  Scrip- 


THE  MAN  AT   THE  LAMP-POST.  85 

ture  into  his  sermons,  and  spoke  as  a  lawyer  to  a  body 
of  jurymen  —  intent  on  the  conversion  of  one  at  least 
to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

"  How  did  you  prepare  that  sermon  on  the  compas- 
sion of  Christ  ?  "  said  Dr.  Roy  to  him  one  day.  "  I  took 
the  Bible,"  answered  the  evangelist,  "  and  began  to 
read  it  over  to  find  out  what  it  said  on  that  subject.  I 
prayed  over  the  texts  as  I  went  along  until  the  thought 
of  His  infinite  compassion  overpowered  me,  and  I  could 
only  lie  on  the  floor  of  my  study,  with  my  face  in  the 
open  Bible,  and  cry  like  a  little  child."  Sermons  so 
composed  could  hardly  fail  to  move  an  audience  to 
tears. 

Mr.  Moody  continued  during  four  successive  years  to 
hold  the  office  of  president  of  the  Young's  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association ;  and  at  one  time  he  was,  as  he  himself 
has  said,  "  president,  secretary,  janitor,  and  every  thing 
else."  Here  is  an  instance  of  the  kind  of  outside  work 
he  was  constantly  performing. 

"  Are  you  a  Christian  ?  "  said  he  to  a  man  leaning 
against  a  lamp-post.  He  answered  the  question  with  a 
curse.  "  Maybe,"  said  Mr.  Moody  to  himself,  "  I  am 
doing  more  harm  than  good."  One  night  he  heard  a 
knock  on  the  door,  and  the  man  who  swore  at  him  at 
the  lamp-post,  appearing  to  him  on  the  door-step,  said, 
"  Do  you  remember  the  man  you  met  about  three 
months  ago  at  a  lamp-post,  and  how  he  cursed  you? 
I  have  had  no  peace  since  that  night.  Oh,  tell  me  what 
to  do  to  be  saved  !  " 


86  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

"  We  just  fell  down  on  our  knees,"  said  Mr.  Moody, 
"  and  I  prayed  ;  and  the  next  day  he  went  to  the  noon 
prayer-meeting,  and  openly  confessed  the  Saviour. 
How  often  have  I  thanked  God  for  that  word  to  that 
dying  sinner !  " 

In  January,  18G8,  the  beautiful  building  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  was  reduced  to  ashes  ;  but 
there  are  large-hearted,  noble  Christian  men  in  the  city 
of  Chicago.  John  V.  Farwell,  B.  F.  Jacobs,  and 
others  came  immediately  forward,  and  commenced  on 
the  same  site  another  and  a  better  building,  which,  the 
ensuing  year,  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  Lord. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  Mr.  Moody  and  his  family  were 
taken  into  a  carriage,  and  driven  to  a  new  house,  which 
had  been  built  and  elegantly  furnished  by  some  liberal 
friends  for  his  abode.  It  was  filled  with  old  acquaint- 
ances who  greeted  him  with  cordial  welcome,  while 
Dr.  Robert  Patterson  in  fitting  words  made  the  pre- 
sentation of  the  lease  and  furniture  to  the  astonished 
preacher,  who  in  the  fulness  of  his  heart  could  offer 
only  broken  sentences  of  gratitude  in  reply. 

Mr.  Moody  was  very  happy  in  his  new  home.  "  His 
delight  was  to  play  with  his  children,"  says  one  of  his 
friends,  "  and  to  entertain  strangers.  He  loved  to  see 
his  wdiole  household  in  a  roar  of  laughter;  and  yet, 
when  a  passage  of  the  Bible  came  up  suddenly  to  his 
mind,  he  would  turn  to  them  with  his  usual  word, 
4  Come,  let  us  pray ! '  and  then  all  wrould  kneel,  and 
listen  silently  to  the  outbreathings  of  his  fervent  soul." 


BIBLE  READINGS.  87 

"  The  spirit  of  his  companion,"  says  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Clark  in  an  excellent  sketch  of  Mr.  Moody,  "  harmo- 
nizes perfectly  with  his  spirit ;  and  her  sympathy  and 
tenderness  are  among  Heaven's  choicest  gifts  to  him. 
A  stranger  who  was  visiting  his  sabbath  school  noticed 
a  lady  teaching  about  forty  middle-aged  men  in  the 
gallery.  Looking  at  her  and  then  at  the  class,  he  said 
to  Mr.  Moody,  4  Is  not  that  lady  altogether  too  young 
to  teach  such  a  class  of  men  ? '  He  replied,  •  She 
gets  along  very  well,  and  seems  to  succeed  in  her  teach- 
ing.' The  stranger  did  not  appear  to  be  altogether 
satisfied.  In  a  few  moments  he  approached  the  super- 
intendent again,  and  with  becoming  gravity  continued, 
'  Mr.  Moody,  I  cannot  but  feel  that  that  lady  must  be 
altogether  too  young  to  instruct  such  a  large  company 
of  men.  Will  you,  sir,  please  to  inform  me  who  she 
is  ? '  —  '  Certainly,'  replied  Mr.  Moody :  '  that  is  my 
wife.'  " 

The  Bible  readings  now  held  by  this  man  of  one 
book  became  the  engrossing  topic  of  conversation 
among  Christians  in  Chicago  ;  and  hundreds  joined  his 
classes  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  key  to  the  hid- 
den wealth  of  Holy  Writ.  His  plan  is  to  take  one 
word  or  doctrine,  and,  by  the  aid  of  a  concordance,  to 
trace  it  through  the  various  books  of  Scripture,  and 
thus  examine  it  by  the  light  of  inspiration  under  all 
its  meanings  and  relations.  "  I  remember,"  says  he, 
"  I  took  up  the  word  '  love,'  and  turned  to  the  Scrip- 
tures and  studied  it,  and  got  so  that  I  felt  that  I  loved 


88  LIFE  OF  DWIGIIT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

everybody.  I  got  full  of  it.  It  ran  out  of  my  fingers. 
Suppose  you  take  up  the  subject  of  love,  and  study  it. 
You  will  get  so  full  of  it  that  all  you  have  got  to  do  is 
to  open  your  lips,  and  a  flood  of  the  love  of  God  flows 
out  upon  the  meeting.  Take  the  CI  ams  '  of  John, — 
1 1  am  the  bread  of  life  ;  '  '  I  am  the  vine  ;'  'I  am  the 
water  of  life  ; '  '  I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life  ;  ' 
4 1  am  the  resurrection.'  God  gives  to  his  children  a 
blank,  and  on  it  they  can  write  whatever  they  most 
want,  and  he  will  fill  the  bill." 

In  order  to  aid  his  eye  and  memory,  Mr.  Moody  con- 
nects by  a  fine  hair-line  drawn  in  his  Bagster's  Bible, 
which  he  carries  in  a  pocket  made  expressly  for  it, 
words,  names,  or  passages  co-related,  and  introduces 
many  other  marks  of  reference. 

In  the  early  part  of  1871,  this  untiring  servant  of 
the  Lord  had  the  good  fortune,  while  attending  a  con- 
vention at  Indianapolis,  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
Ira  David  Sankey,  who  has  since  become  so  celebrated 
as  "  a  sweet  singer  of  the  gospel."  Mr.  Moody  is  him- 
self no  singer;  but,  aware  of  the  power  of  sacred 
music  over  the  hearts  of  men,  he  determined  wisely  to 
secure  his  services.  A  kind  of  co-partnership  in  evan- 
gelization was  soon  formed  between  them ;  and  now 
Mr.  Moody  with  his  Bible,  and  Mr.  Sankey  with  his 
song-book,  move  together  in  fraternal  concord,  pub- 
lishing the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  through  the  world. 

The  mighty  conflagration  of  the  city  of  Chicago 
commenced  in  the  evening  of  the  8th  of  October,  1871, 


ME.   MOODY'S   ACCOUNT   OF  THE   GEEAT   FIEE.      89 

and  swept  over  an  area  of  four  square  miles,  leaving 
but  a  mass  of  blocks  and  smouldering  ruins  in  its  course. 
Aroused  hy  the  uproar  of  that  night  of  terror,  Mr. 
Moody  and  his  family  fled  for  shelter  from  the  flames. 
"Every  thing  I  have  is  lost,''  said  he,  "except  my 
reputation  and  my  Bible." 

To  his  wife,  who  solicited  him  to  take  his  portrait 
with  them,  he  replied,  "  Wouldn't  I  look  well  carrying 
my  picture  through  the  streets  ?  "  His  beautiful  house, 
his  beloved  church,  and  Farwell  Hall,  the  evangelical 
centre  of  Chicago,  were  consumed  ;  and  most  of  his 
parishioners  were  left  in  destitution.  As  soon  as  Mr. 
Moody's  family  were  safe,  he  hurried  back  to  assist  the 
sick  and  wounded  in  their  efforts  to  escape  from  peril. 
In  one  of  his  discourses,  he  thus  speaks  of  the  dreadful 
scene  :  — 

"  It  was  my  sad  lot  to  be  in  the  Chicago  fire.  As 
the  flames  rolled  down  our  streets,  destroying  every 
thing  in  their  onward  march,  I  saw  the  great  and  the 
honorable,  the. learned  and  the  wise,  fleeing  before  the 
fire  with  the  beggar  and  the  thief  and  the  harlot.  All 
were  alike.  As  the  flames  swept  through  the  city,  it 
was  like  the  judgment  day.  Neither  the  mayor,  nor  the 
mighty  men,  nor  the  wise  men,  could  stop  these  flames. 
They  were  all  on  a  level  then,  and  many  who  were 
worth  hundreds  of  thousands  were  left  paupers  that 
night.  'When  the  day  of  judgment  comes,  there  will  be 
no  difference  :  all  sinners  will  suffer." 


90  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

On  the  evening  of  the  great  fire  Mr.  Moody  spoke  to 
an  audience  of  three  thousand  persons  in  Farwell  Hall, 
exhorting  them  to  become  Christians.  During  the 
meeting  Dr.   Thomas  Hastings's  hymn,  — 

"  To-day  the  Saviour  calls  : 
Ye  wanderers,  come; 
Oh,  ye  benighted  souls  ! 
Why  longer  roarn  ?  ' ' 

was  sung  by  the  congregation,  and  ten  persons  re- 
mained to  express  their  determination  to  follow  Jesus. 
As  they  went  out  into  the  street,  the  flames  were  seen 
approaching,  and  three  of  the  number  perished  in  the 
conflagration. 

Mr.  Moody  has  a  brave  heart,  sustained  by  confidence 
in  God.  After  rendering  to  the  sufferers  what  relief  he 
could,  he  went  to  Philadelphia  with  the  view  of  raising 
funds  for  the  erection  of  a  temporary  building  for  reli- 
gious services. 

"  If  I  had  a  thousand  dollars  I  could  build,"  said  he 
to  George  H.  Stuart  and  others,  "  a  great  box  that 
would  hold  my  Sunday  school." — "You  shall  have 
three  thousand,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  With  this 
money  he  commenced  a  rough  tabernacle  a  hundred 
and  nine  feet  by  seventy-five,  of  boards,  in  the  burnt 
district ;  and  by  aid  of  the  hands  of  poor  men,  women, 
and  children,  who  sometimes  toiled  by  night,  the  rude 
structure  was  within  eight  weeks  after  the  fire  com- 
pleted.    At  the  dedication  more  than  a  thousand  chil- 


ORDER  OF  SERVICES  IK  TABERNACLE.  91 

dren  were  present.  The  tabernacle  presented  a  most 
singular  appearance,  rising  as  it  did  thus  solitary  among 
the  ruins ;  and  it  served  the  triple  purpose  of  affording 
shelter  to  the  homeless,  of  storing  supplies  for  the 
destitute,  and  of  being  used  as  a  religious  temple.  Mr. 
Moody  and  his  family  made  it  the  place  of  their  abode, 
and  from  it  charitable  distributions  were  continually 
extended  to  the  poor  people  of  the  city.  Religious  ser- 
vices were  often  held  in  it;  and  by  the  powerful 
preaching  of  Mr.  Moody,  whom  the  fire  had  brought 
into  closer  union  with  his  Lord  and  Master,  and  by  the 
sweet  and  touching  songs  of  Mr.  Sankey,  many  wander- 
ing souls  were  led  to  Jesus.  Never  was  there  a  livelier 
or  a  busier  scene  of  varied  labor,  such  as  sewing,  mend- 
ing, arranging,  and  distributing,  than  that  low,  tar- 
covered  tabernacle  presented  for  a  long  time  subsequent 
to  the  memorable  fire  ;  and  the  services  for  the  sabbath 
were,  according  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Daniels,  conducted  in 
the  following  order  :  — 

"  The  Lord's  Supper  every  Sunday  at  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  preaching  by  Mr.  Moody  at  half -past  ten,  at  the 
close  of  which  he  waited  at  the  door  to  greet  the  people 
as  they  passed  out ;  then  dinner  in  the  class-room,  at 
which  a  number  of  the  Sunday-school  teachers  were 
present  to  talk  over  the  work  of  the  day;  immediately 
after  dinner,  a  teachers'  meeting  for  the  study  of  the 
lesson ;  at  three  o'clock  the  Sunday  school,  with  Mr,. 
Moody  for   superintendent ;    following  it   a   teachers' 


92  LITE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

prayer-meeting,  also  led  by  him ;  then  supper  in  the 
class-room;  then  the  yoke-fellows'  prayer  -  meeting  ; 
preaching  again  at  half-past  seven  ;  after  which  Mr. 
Moody  held  a  meeting  for  inquirers,  which  sometimes 
lasted  far  into  the  night. 

Though  left  entirely  destitute  by  the  fire,  Mr.  Moody 
toiled,  regardless  of  his  own  necessities,  for  the  salvation 
of  the  masses  who  came  in  their  poverty  to  listen  to  his 
heartfelt  exhortations.  His  own  pocket-book  was  often 
empty  while  he  was  engaged  in  the  distribution  of  the 
alms  of  others  to  the  needy.  Having  preached  for  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Goodspeed  one  day,  ten  dollars  were  tendered 
to  him  by  the  pastor,  who  at  the  same  time  said  to  him, 
8  This  is  all  I  have.'  —  *  Then,'  replied  the  self-denying 
Moody,  4 1  won't  take  but  half  of  it,  though  I  have  not 
one  cent.'  " 

At  the  solicitation  of  three  gentlemen,  Mr.  Moody, 
after  some  profound  religious  experiences,  determined 
in  1873  to  revisit  England ;  and,  on  being  asked  why 
he  came  to  this  decision,  his  quick  reply  was,  "  To  win 
ten  thousand  souls  to  Christ." 

He  made  his  preparations  for  the  voyage,  leaving  his 
church  in  the  hands  of  long-tried  and  efficient  laborers  ; 
but  up  to  the  eve  of  his  departure  took  no  thought  for 
the  money,  even  to  pay  his  passage.  He  literally  abided 
by  the  words  of  Christ,  "  Take  no  thought  for  the  mor- 
row ; "  and  his  simple  trust  in  God  was  not  in  vain. 
Just  as  he  was  about  leaving  with  his  family,  his  liberal 


HE  REVISITS   ENGLAND.  93 

friend  John  V.  Farwell  came  to  him,  and,  bidding  him 
good-by,  placed  in  his  hand  a  check  for  five  hundred 
dollars,  saying  he  perhaps  would  need  it  after  reaching 
England. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1873,  Mr  Moody  and  his  family, 
together  with  Mr.  Sankey,  sailed  for  Liverpool,  at  which 
city  they  arrived  upon  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  same 
month.  The  prayers  of  thousands  followed  these  gifted 
messengers  of  good- will  to  men ;  and  the  Spirit  of 
Jehovah,  speaking  through  their  voices,  moved  the 
hearts  and  tongues  of  millions  in  Great  Britain  to  de- 
clare for  the  Redeemer  and  his  kingdom. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LABORS    OF    MESSRS.    MOODY    AST)    BASKET    EN'    ENGLAND,    SCOT- 
LAND, IRELAND,  AND  AGAIN  LN  ENGLAND. 

A  Memorable  Day. — Why  the  Evangelists  went  to  England. — Their 
"Work  at  York.  —  Sunderland.  —  Xewcastle-upon-Tyne.  —  The 
Promises.  —  Farewell  to  Newcastle.  —  They  visit  Edinburgh.  — 
Distrust  of  the  Scotchmen.  —  Mr.  Moody's  Faith. — The  Infidel 
Club.  —Eagerness  of  the  People  to  hear  the  Gospel.  — Meeting  at  the 
Corn  Exchange.  —  Tolbooth  Church.  —  Week  of  Prayer.  —  Farewell 
Meeting  at  Arthur's  Seat.  —  Glasgow  visited.  —  Open- Air  Meetings. 

—  City  Hall.  —  Erving  Place  Chapel.  —  Waiting.  —  Meeting  for  Chil- 
dren.—  The  Crystal  Palace.  —  Results  of  Labors.  —  A  German  Pas- 
tor. —  Temperance.  — Activity  of  Christians.  —Return  to  Edinburgh. 

—  All  Scotland  interested.  —  Perth.  —  Aberdeen.  —  Tain.  —  Hunt- 
ley. —  An  Outdoor  Meeting  at  Elgin.  —  Rothesay.  —  The  Evangelists 
visit  Belfast. —Last  Meeting  in  that  City.  —  Londonderry.  —  Dub- 
lin. —  View  of  an  Episcopalian.  —  An  Aged  Man  converted.  —  Unity 
of  Sentiment.  —  A  Convention  of  Ministers  and  Others. — Visit  to 
Manchester.  —  Sheffield.  —  Birmingham.  —  Assemblies  described.  — 
Liverpool — Visit  to  London.  —  The  City  described. — Plan  of  La- 
bor. —  Results  of  the  Revival  on  England  and  America. 

"  Foor,  but  making  many  rich;  having  nothing,  and  yet  possessing  all  things," 

St.  Taul. 

"  Attempt  great  things  for  God,  and  expect  great  things  from  God."  —  Caret. 

The  17th  of  June  is  a  memorable  day  in  the  history 
of  England  and  America.  On  that  day  the  brave  and 
well-disciplined  soldiers  of  England  met  in  deadly  con- 
flict, on  the  slopes  of  Bunker  Hill,  the  hastily  gathered 

94 


WHY  THE  EVANGELISTS   WENT   TO  ENGLAND.      95 

and  raw  militia  of  Boston  and  the  adjoining  towns. 
The  contending  forces  found  out  by  that  day's  expe- 
rience that  they  were  kindred  in  blood  and  soul.  It 
was  a  lesson  they  have  never  forgotten.  The  world 
knows  that  to  all  intents  and  purposes  the  English  and 
Americans  are  one. 

It  was  a  fitting  coincidence,  that  Messrs.  Moody  and 
Sankey  in  their  evangelistic  visit  to  England  should 
land  upon  her  shores  on  the  17th  of  June.  They  were 
not  invaders  with  hostile  intent,  but  friends  and  helpers 
of  all  good  men  and  women  in  saving  the  perishing 
multitudes,  who,  living  in  the  midst  of  the  light  of  the 
gospel,  were  yet  rejecting  its  offers  of  mercy. 

They  did  not  go  to  England  because  there  were  no 
living,  working  Christians  there ;  for  there  is,  and  has 
been  since  the  days  of  Wesley,  a  vital  type  of  Chris- 
tianity in  that  country  equal  to  any  the  world  has  ever 
known.  They  did  not  visit  England  for  the  reason  that 
there  was  no  work  for  them  to  do  at  home  ;  for  in  all 
our  great  cities  there  are  vast  multitudes  yet  unreached 
by  the  gospel.  They  did  not  go  as  religious  adventur- 
ers, but  because,  like  Paul  of  old,  they  had  heard  a  cry 
for  help,  which  they  could  not  resist.  They  went  forth 
on  their  mission  as  evangelists,  and  they  carried  their 
divinely  given  credentials  with  them.  They  were  not 
of  the  class  who  send  themselves,  men,  and  sometimes 
women,  of  small  natural  abilities,  a  narrow  range  of 
thought,  a  meagre  supply  of  common  sense,  and  not 
much  religion.     They  were  rather  men  of  holy  lives 


96  LIFE   OF   DWIGIIT    LYMAN    MOODY. 

they  enjoyed  experimental  piety  ;  they  were  not  covet- 
ous of  wealth  or  honor  ;  they  had  walked  with  Christ 
until  their  hearts  were  all  aflame  with  his  quenchless 
love  for  a  dying  world ;  they  had  known  the  fellowship 
of  the  sufferings  of  the  world's  Redeemer,  the  bitterness 
of  sin,  the  peace  of  pardon,  the  comfort  of  hope,  the 
joy  of  adoption,  the  victory  of  an  abiding  faith,  and 
the  unspeakable  glory  of  personal  communion  with  the 
Triune  God. 

If  Mr.  Moody  had  been  going  into  a  country  where 
there  were  no  Christian  people,  then  of  course  his 
work  would  have  been  entirelv  anions  the  unconverted ; 
it  would  have  been  to  preach  repentance  and  faith,  and 
to  call  men  to  a  knowledge  of  Christ.  In  England 
Christianity  had  been  planted  for  many  centuries,  and 
there  were  many  Christian  churches  already  organized, 
many  professing  Christians,  and  many  devout  and 
earnest  souls  bent  on  the  spread  of  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom.  Besides  these,  there  were  vast  masses  of  the 
unsaved,  with  more  or  less  knowledge  of  the  gospel, 
who  were  living  in  neglect  of  the  great  salvation. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  work  of  Mr.  Moody 
was  twofold  in  its  character.  He  would  first  unify 
and  intensify  the  individual  activity  of  all  Christians, 
and  then  with  their  help  proclaim  the  gospel  to  the 
entire  community. 

When  the  two  evangelists  landed  at  Liverpool  on  the 
17th  of  June,  1873,  they  were  met  with  the  disheart- 
ening news  that  one  of    the    principal    men  who  had 


WORK   AT   YOKK.  97 

invited  them  had  died.  Seeing  no  other  course  to 
pursue,  Mr.  Moody  sent  a  telegram  to  the  secretary 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  at  York, 
another  friend  who  had  invited  him  to  England,  that 
he  was  ready  to  begin  his  work.  He  was  informed  in 
reply,  that  religion  was  at  a  very  low  ebb  in  York,  and 
that  it  would  require  at  least  a  month  to  get  ready  for 
a  revival.  The  communication  closed  by  asking  Mr. 
Moody  when  he  might  be  expected,  to  which  he 
returned  immediately  the  despatch,  "  I  will  be  in  York 
to-night." 

If  one  might  judge  of  the  character  of  the  people  by 
the  number  of  their  churches,  as  Paul  of  the  Athenians 
by  the  number  of  their  gods,  the  conclusion  would  be 
that  the  inhabitants  of  the  famous  old  city  of  York 
were  very  religious.  Three  hundred  years  ago  York 
had  nearly  sixty  parish  churches  and  chapels,  together 
with  an  ample  supply  of  monasteries  and  nunneries. 
At  present,  with  a  population  of  about  fifty  thousand, 
there  are,  besides  the  cathedral,  twenty-nine  churches 
and  about  half  as  many  Dissenting  chapels.  If  all  the 
people  of  York,  from  the  oldest  to  the  youngest,  were 
to  choose  some  fine  Sunday  to  go  to  church,  there 
would  be  room  in  the  churches  for  them  all,  and  nearly 
half  as  many  more.  A  harder  place  than  this  could 
not  be  found  for  the  commencement  of  the  labors 
of  the  American  evangelists.  Religiously  educated, 
wealthy  church-goers,  with  an  archbishop  and  many 
clergy  employed  and  unemployed,  —  what  could  the 


98  LITE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

citizens  of  York  want  of  uncultivated  revivalists  who 
had  never  been  ordained,  nor  even  licensed  to  preach 
the  gospel  ? 

It  may  he  supposed  that  it  was  in  the  divine  order 
that  they  should  go  to  this  unpromising  field  in  the 
beginning,  that  their  faith  might  be  strengthened  for 
the  difficulties  yet  to  come. 

The  first  of  the  meetings  held  in  York  was  on 
Sunday  morning,  in  one  of  the  small  rooms  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association ;  and  the  number 
present  was  but  eight.  Four  churches  had  been  opened 
for  them,  and  amid  great  discouragement  they  held 
meetings  through  the  week.  There  was  no  apparent 
sympathy  on  the  part  of  Christians,  and  no  movement 
on  the  part  of  the  unconverted.  There  was  no  decided 
opposition ;  yet  the  ministers  both  of  the  Dissenting 
and  Established  churches  rendered  them  no  active 
co-operation.  The  result  of  a  month's  unremitting 
labor  was  the  conversion  of  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  persons,  the  awakening  of  some  Christian  people 
in  the  city,  and,  what  was  of  very  great  importance,  an 
impression  made  upon  the  public  mind  outside  of  York, 
that  these  two  earnest  workers  were  the  servants  of  the 
Most  High  God. 

From  York  they  went  to  Sunderland,  a  seaport  in 
the  North-west  of  England,  with  a  population  of  about 
eighty  thousand  people.  Here  on  Sunday,  July  27, 
they  began  their  labors ;  but  still  were  destined  to 
encounter  many  obstacles.     The  English  mind  is  slow 


NEWCASTLE-UPOX-TYNE.  99 

to  accept  new  ideas ;  nor  does  it  look  on  foreigners 
with  any  special  favor.  These  evangelists  were  plain 
men,  without  wealth,  social  position,  or  diplomas  from 
the  schools.  They  were  perhaps  curious  specimens  of 
the  Yankees,  who  had  come  over  to  the  Fatherland  on 
purpose  to  make  money.  Mr.  Moody  was  blunt  in  his 
manners  ;  he  understood  so  little  of  the  science  of  red 
tape,  and  went  at  things  so  abruptly,  that  the  English 
did  not  exactly  understand  what  to  do  with  him.  But 
they  learned  in  time  to  love  him  and  to  trust  him  as  a 
servant  of  the  living  God,  tremendously  in  earnest  to 
do  his  Master's  will. 

Meeting  with  but  limited  success  in  Sunderland, 
the  evangelists  went  next  to  Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
Here  had  lived  one  of  the  men  who  had  invited  them 
to  England ;  but  he  had  gone  to  his  reward,  without 
beholding  the  work  he  had  so  much  desired  to  promote. 
"  We  have  not  done  much  in  York  and  Sunderland," 
said  Mr.  Moody  on  his  arrival,  "  because  the  ministers 
opposed  us ;  but  we  are  going  to  stay  in  Newcastle  till 
we  make  an  impression,  and  live  down  the  prejudices  of 
good  people  who  do  not  understand  us."  This  purpose 
he  adhered  to  with  the  most  encouraging  results.  The 
ministers  and  laymen  gradually  came  to  his  help ;  and 
their  united  efforts  were  honored  of  God,  by  the  con- 
version of  many  precious  souls.  "  We  are  on  the  eve 
of  a  great  revival,"  said  Mr.  Moody,  at  one  of  the 
meetings  at  which  almost  a  thousand  Christians  were 
present,  "  which  may  cover  Great  Britain,  and  perhaps 


100  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

make  itself  felt  in  America.  And  why,"  continued  he, 
44  may  the  fire  not  burn  as  long  as  I  live  ?  When  this 
revival  spirit  dies,  may  I  die  with  it  I " 

On  Wednesday,  Sept.  10,  an  all-day  meeting  was  held 
in  Rye  Hill  Chapel,  where  about  seventeen  hundred 
people  were  present,  all  manifesting  the  profoundest 
interest  in  the  novel  services.  The  first  hour  was  de- 
voted to  the  reading  of  the  Bible  and  to  prayer ;  the 
second  to  the  promises,  when  Mr.  Moody  said,  "  These 
promises,  like  precious  gems,  are  to  be  found  in  every 
book  of  the  Bible,  and  to-day  we  may  get  into  the 
company  of  all  God's  great  men  who  have  passed  away, 
and  hear  what  things  they  have  to  tell  us  about  our 
Father's  love.  We  may  summon  the  patriarchs,  the 
prophets,  the  priests,  the  kings ;  we  may  listen  to  the 
historians,  the  biographers,  the  poets,  of  the  Bible ;  and 
they  will  all  give  us  some  of  the  precious  promises 
spoken  by  God  through  their  lives  to  the  ears  of  the 
whole  world.  The  meeting  is  to  be  quite  open  and 
free ;  not  for  speeches  about  promises,  but  for  the  read- 
ing forth  of  these  good  words  of  God  to  our  souls." 
Then  from  every  part  of  the  audience  came  passage 
after  passage,  —  for  the  people  had  their  Bibles  with 
them,  —  which  set  forth  the  fulness  of  God's  love  to 
man.  During  the  last  hour,  Mr.  Moody  spoke  of 
heaven ;  and  well  it  could  be  said  of  him,  "  The  pure, 
full-orbed  truths  of  God's  word  came  in  close  and 
certain  succession  from  his  lips,  and  fell  with  telling 
power  on  the  hearts  of  the  throng." 


VISITS  EDINBURGH.  101 

Mr.  Sankey  sang  his  sweet  songs  with  touching 
pathos,  and  thus  deepened  the  impression  made  by  the 
outspoken  words  of  Mr.  Moody.  The  memory  of  that 
meeting,  said  a  minister  present,  "  will  live  till  the  last 
year  of  our  lives  ;  and  many  a  soul  travelling  home  to 
God  will  think  of  it  as  one  of  the  deep  poo  is  by  the 
way,  dug  by  the  hand  of  a  loving  God  for  the  refresh- 
ment of  his  children." 

By  the  labors  of  these  two  evangelists  in  Newcastle, 
the  churches  were  awakened,  sabbath  schools  increased, 
and  Bibles  circulated.  A  new  style  of  religious  life 
was  introduced  into  Northumberland.  "  Never  shall 
we  forget,"  said  a  person  present,  "  Mr.  Moody's  fare- 
well address  to  the  delegates  who  had  come  from  dis- 
tant counties  to  take  leave  of  him.  He  would  not  say 
4  Good-by,'  —  no,  4  Good-night '  rather,  and  meet  them 
all  in  the  morning  in  the  dawn  of  the  eternal  day. 
Then  strong  men  bowed  and  wept  out  their  manly 
sorrow  like  children,  —  blessed  children,  as  they  were, 
of  the  same  great  Father." 

Passing  through  Carlisle,  where  the  Briton  and  the 
Scot  had  so  often  met  in  sanguinary  conflict,  the  two 
evangelists  arrived  on  the  22d  of  November  in  the 
celebrated  city  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  Mr.  Moody 
had  some  fears  lest  his  visit  here  amongst  the  learned 
and  wary  Scotchmen,  set  as  they  were  in  their  own 
theological  opinions,  might  turn  out  to  be  a  failure. 
"  What,"  said  he,  "  can  such  a  man  as  I  do  up  there 
amongst  those  great  Scotch  divines  ?  "     The  work  was 


102  LIFE  OF  D  WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

indeed  derided  by  some  and  vilified  by  others,  while 
many  good  men  were  sorely  perplexed  at  the  methods 
of  the  evangelists  and  the  agencies  they  employed.  It 
was  shocking  to  a  real  Scotchman  to  praise  God  with 
an  organ  ;  and  the  simple  heart-songs  of  Mr.  Sankey 
were  not  by  any  means  to  be  allowed  to  supplant  the 
grand  old  psalms  sung  by  the  sainted  Covenanters,  and 
the  long  succession  of  holy  men  and  women  since  wor- 
ship had  been  free  in  Scotland.  But  the  power  of  God 
was  with  the  evangelists.  The  difficulties  one  after 
another  disappeared,  and  thousands  were  happily  con- 
verted to  God  in  the  capital  city  of  the  Xortk.  The 
day  after  the  arrival  of  the  evangelists,  Music  Hall, 
which  seats  two  thousand  people,  could  not  hold  the 
crowds  that  thronged  to  hear  them.  A  noon  prayer- 
meeting  was  begun  the  following  day,  and  inquiry- 
meetings  followed  almost  every  public  service.  Mr. 
Moody's  constant  reference  to  the  Bible,  and  Mr. 
Sankey's  beautiful  songs,  as  "  Hold  the  Fort,"  "  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  passeth  by,"  and  "  The  Prodigal  Child," 
greatly  pleased  the  Scottish  people.  "  One  of  the 
first  things  that  impressed  us,"  says  the  Rev.  John 
Kelman,  "  was  the  extraordinary  voracity  of  Mr. 
Moody's  faith.  We  had  been  accustomed  to  go  to  the 
meetings,  hoping  God  would  Mess  us;  but  Mr.  Mood}7 
always  said,  '  We  know  that  he  will  bless  us.'  "  "  We 
are  all  delighted  with  them  "  [Moody  and  Sankey], 
wrote  another,  under  date  of  Nov.  28, 1873  ;  "  ministers 
of  all  denominations  are  joining  cordially  in  the  service, 


THE  INFIDEL   CLUB.  103 

and  God  is  indeed  working  graciously.  About  two 
thousand  are  out  every  night  hearing.  Two  churches 
are  to  be  opened  simultaneously  each  night  next  week. 
The  singing  of  Mr.  Sankey  lays  the  gospel  message 
and  invitation  very  distinctly  and  powerfully  on  the 
consciences  of  the  people  ;  and  Mr.  Moody's  gospel  is 
clear,  earnest,  and  distinct." 

On  the  2d  of  December  Mr.  Moody  made  a  most 
impressive  address  on  "  Where  art  thou?  "  in  Brough- 
ton  Place  Church  ;  and  at  an  inquiry  meeting  nearly 
three  hundred,  embracing  students  from  the  University, 
soldiers  from  the  castle,  old  men  of  seventy  years,  the 
intemperate  and  the  sceptical,  listened  as  for  life  to  the 
pointed  words  of  the  revivalist.  At  one  of  these  meet- 
ings Mr.  Moody  said  to  the  chairman  of  an  infidel 
club,  — 

"  Would  you  like  to  have  me  pra}'  for  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  have  no  objection  to  your  trying  your 
hand  on  me,  if  you  like ;  but  I  think  you  will  find  me 
a  match  for  you." 

Mr.  Moody  knelt  down  and  prayed  for  him  in  ear- 
nest, and  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  subsequently 
that  this  chairman  and  eighteen  members  of  his  club 
were  converted  to  Christianity. 

The  Free  Church  Assembly  Hall,  the  largest  public 
building  in  Edinburgh,  and  the  established  church, 
Assembly  Hall,  were  crowded  every  evening  to  hear 
the  urgent  appeals  of  Mr.  Moody,  and  the  affecting 
^spel  songs  of  the  sweet  singer.     The  secular  press 


104  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

proclaimed  the  progress  of  the  revival ;  and  people 
came  from  distant  towns  to  share  in  its  blessed  influ- 
ence. Denominational  distinctions  were  forgotten,  and 
never  before  was  the  city  so  intent  to  hear  the  tidings 
of  salvation.  The  theme  of  conversation  everywhere 
was  Jesus,  and  many  souls  were  daily  born  into  his 
kingdom.  At  the  meeting  on  Sunday  night,  Dec.  29, 
in  the  Corn  Exchange,  Grass  Market,  about  three  thou- 
sand people  of  the  poorer  classes  were  present,  and  the 
most  profound  attention  was  paid  to  the  pathetic 
stories  and  the  hallowed  songs.  About  six  hundred 
men  came  up  to  the  Assembly  Hall  from  one  of  these 
meetings,  fell  on  their  knees,  and  professed  themselves 
willing:  to  serve  the  Lord. 

The  meeting  at  the  Tolbooth  Church,  Dec.  31,  was 
perhaps  the  most  interesting  one  held  in  Edinburgh. 
The  house  was  thronged.  The  ministers  and  all  were 
deeply  affected.  "  The  intense  interest,"  says  one  who 
was  present,  "  increased  as  midnight  neared.  Kneeling 
or  with  bowed  heads,  the  whole  great  meeting  with  one 
accord  prayed  in  silence  ;  and,  while  they  did  so,  the 
city  clocks  successively  struck  the  hour.  The  hushed 
silence  continued  five  minutes  more.  Mr.  Moody  gave 
out  the  last  two  verses  of  the  hymn,  — 

1  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul.' 

And  they  all  stood  and  sung,  — 

'  Thou,  0  Christ,  art  all  I  want.' 


FAREWELL  MEETING   AT   ARTHUR'S   SEAT.       105 

"  The  gates  were  ajar,  and  our  hearts  were  pressed 
close  to  the  heart  of  God.  After  a  brief  prayer  the 
benediction  was  pronounced,  and  all  began  like  one 
family  to  wish  each  other  '  a  happy  New  Year.' ' 

The  revival  spirit,  awakened  in  Edinburgh,  spread 
through  the  whole  of  Scotland  ;  and  constant  applica- 
tions were  made  to  the  evangelists  from  ministers  in 
other  cities  to  come  and  aid  them.  A  letter  signed  by 
all  the  leading  pastors  of  Edinburgh  was  sent  to  every 
church  in  the  county,  urging  it  to  make  the  great 
work  of  the  American  revivalists  prominent  in  their 
supplications  during  the  week  of  prayer.  From  this, 
many  wonderful  results  ensued.  Messrs.  Moody  and 
Sankey  continued  their  labors  in  Edinburgh  until  Jan. 
21,  1874 ;  and  the  whole  city,  as  it  were,  came  out  to 
the  slopes  of  Arthur's  Seat  to  bid  them  an  affectionate 
farewell.  So  greatly  had  this  intelligent  city  been 
moved  by  these  two  humble  men,  that  not  less  than 
three  thousand  converts  were  received  into  the 
churches ;  and  Dr.  Horatius  Bonar  said  that  almost 
every  Christian  household  had  been  blessed  with  one 
or  more  conversions. 

Mr.  Moody  was  steadily  gaining  spiritual  and  intel- 
lectual strength,  while  his  success  in  Edinburgh  em- 
boldened him  to  go  forward  in  his  glorious  mission. 

The  manufacturing  city  of  Glasgow,  forty-two  miles 
west  of  Edinburgh,  and  containing  half  a  million  peo- 
ple, was  prepared  to  receive  with  open  arms  the  evan- 
gelists.    They  commenced  their  labors  here  on  the  8th 


106  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

of  February,  1874,  by  addressing  a  meeting  of  about 
three  thousand  sabbath-school  teachers  in  the  City  Hall. 
The  Bible  readings  of  Mr.  Moody  met  with  great 
acceptance,  while  the  soul-moving  songs  of  Mr.  Sankey 
*ent  the  word  home  to  the  heart.  Helpers  came  from 
Edinburgh,  the  churches  entered  zealously  upon  the 
work  ;  and  conversions,  more  especially  among  the  edu- 
cated, multiplied  every  day,  so  that  soon  the  whole  city 
became  alive  to  the  revival. 

Three  large  churches  near  the  City  Hall  were  opened 
for  simultaneous  services,  and  vast  assemblages  received 
the  glad  tidings  in  the  open  air.  At  the  first  noon 
prayer-meeting  fifteen  hundred  persons,  some  of  them 
coming  from  distant  towns,  were  present.  At  the 
meeting  in  the  City  Hall  on  Thursday  evening,  Mr. 
Moody  spoke  with  wondrous  power  on  the  text,  "  Ex- 
cept a  man  be  born  again  ;  "  and,  when  he  invited  those 
on  the  Lord's  side  to  remain,  more  than  a  thousand 
people  kept  their  places.  On  Sunday  evening,  Feb.  15, 
he  addressed  a  vast  assembly  of  men  at  the  City  Hall ; 
and  when  Mr.  Sankey  sung  in  his  touching  style,  — 

°  In  the  promises  I  trust, 

Now  I  feel  the  blood  applied; 
I  am  prostrate  in  the  dust, 
I  with  Christ  am  crucified,"  — 

not  a  head  in  that  great  throng  was  seen  to  move. 
More  than  a  thousand  remained  for  prayer.  On  Mon- 
day evening,  Feb.  16,  as  many  as  seven  hundred  Chris- 


WAITING.  107 

tian  young  men  at  the  Erving  Place  Chapel  agreed  to 
meet  every  night  to  watch  and  pray  for  the  conversion 
of  the  souls  of  their  companions.  On  Sabbath  morning, 
Feb.  22,  Mr.  Moody  spoke  in  the  City  Hall  to  about 
three  thousand  Christian  workers,  from  the  text,  "  Send 
me."  At  the  Erving  Place  Chapel,  Feb.  24,  a  party  of 
young  men  numbering  one  hundred  and  one  took  sides 
for  Jesus  ;  and  at  the  noon  prayer-meeting  on  Thursday 
Mr.  Moody  said  he  had  once,  after  most  urgent  solici- 
tation, preached  in  a  rude  church  on  the  prairies,  where 
one  Christian  woman  continued  praying  day  and  night 
for  the  pleasure-loving  young  people  whose  only  enjoy- 
ment seemed  to  be  the  song  and  the  dance.  A  letter 
received  that  morning  brought  the  cheering  tidings  that 
in  that  same  spot  thirty-two  young  men  were  now  on 
the  Lord's  side  and  working  for  him. 

On  Sabbath  morning,  March  1,  he  spoke  with  his 
usual  power  to  three  thousand  young  men  of  the  Glas- 
gow Christian  Associations,  Mr.  Sankey  singing  with 
great  effect,  — 

"  Hold  the  fort,  for  I  am  coming." 

It  is  the  aim  of  Mr.  Moody  to  lead  Christians  to  work 
for  God,  as  well  as  pray  to  him.  "  Now,"  said  Mr. 
Sankey  in  one  of  the  assemblies,  "is  the  time  for  work- 
ing. I  saw  on  a  tombstone  at  Stirling  this  word  deeply 
carved  in  the  stone,  ■  Waiting.'  There  will  be  time 
for  waiting  by  and  by,  but  now  is  the  time  for  ivork- 
ing"     He  then  sang  with  great  effect,  — 


108  LIFE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

"  Hark,  the  voice  of  Jesus  crying,  — 
Who  will  go  and  work  to-day? 
Fields  are  white,  and  harvest  waiting  : 
Who  will  bear  the  sheaves  away  ?  ' ' 

While  meetings  of  children,  of  mothers,  of  young 
men,  working-men,  teachers,  students,  ministers,  were 
held  in  almost  all  of  the  one  hundred  and  forty  churches 
of  Glasgow  during  March  and  April,  thousands  and 
thousands  were  laboring  personally  for  the  conversior 
of  souls.  At  one  of  the  great  meetings  for  children,  th* 
boys,  who  were  delighted  with  the  simplicity  of  tht 
preaching  and  the  sweetness  of  the  songs,  climbed  up 
the  stairs,  filled  the  pulpit,  and  hung  as  bees  in  quest 
of  honey  around  the  speaker.  So  large  was  the  attend- 
ance at  the  churches  that  the  Crystal  Palace  was  at 
length  opened  to  the  eager  multitudes ;  and,  after  seven 
thousand  five  hundred  tickets  had  been  distributed, 
hundreds  applied  in  vain  to  gain  admission.  At  one 
time  the  crowd,  amounting  to  about  twenty  thousand, 
filled  the  whole  space  between  the  Palace  and  the 
Botanic  Gardens,  intent  on  hearing  the  words  of  the 
American  evangelists.  In  his  preaching  Mr.  Moody, 
unlike  most  revivalists,  was  business-like,  unpoetical, 
often  very  blunt,  but  thoroughly  in  earnest ;  and  his 
power  was  felt  not  only  in  every  family  in  Glasgow, 
but,  through  the  press  and  telegraphic  wires,  in  every 
part  of  the  United  Kingdom. 

The  writer  was  in  Glasgow  a  year  after  the  departure 
of  the  evangelists,  when  ample  time  had  elapsed  for 


FAREWELL  AT   GLASGOW. 


109 


|j  ||li 


110  LIFE  OP  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

measuring  the  magnitude  of  the  work  of  the  evangelists. 
Noonday  prayer-meetings  were  still  sustained,  in  one  of 
which  a  Lutheran  pastor  from  the  South  of  Germany 
testified  that  a  year  before  he  had  been  in  Glasgow,  and 
attended  the  meetings.  He  had  been  wonderfully  blessed 
of  God ;  and,  when  he  returned  home  to  his  work,  the 
Lord  in  an  extraordinary  manner  poured  out  his  Spirit 
upon  the  people.  Many  in  the  villages  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  church  were  earnestly  seeking  salvation  ; 
and  he  had  returned  to  Glasgow  for  the  reception  of  a 
new  baptism,  so  that  he  could  the  better  lead  his  flock. 
In  private  conversation  with  several  of  the  most  distin- 
guished clergymen  of  the  city,  one  of  them  remarked 
that  at  that  time,  or  within  a  space  of  a  single  twelve- 
month, more  than  three  thousand  people  had  joined  the 
evangelical  churches,  and  many  more  were  ready  to 
unite  with  them ;  another  said  that  Mr.  Moody  had 
done  more  for  the  cause  of  temperance  in  Scotland  than 
all  the  lecturers  for  the  last  twenty  years,  and  that  in 
Glasgow  alone  more  than  seventeen  thousand  had 
signed  the  pledge  ;  another  averred  that  "  dear  auld 
Scotland  had  never  seen  such  a  year  of  blessing  in  all 
her  history ;  "  and  still  another  testified  that  Messrs. 
Moody  and  Sankey  had  done  more  to  revolutionize  the 
service  of  song  in  the  churches,  to  liberalize  the  hard 
features  of  Scottish  Calvinism,  and  to  save  Scotland 
from  the  terrible  curse  of  strong  drink,  than  had  been 
done  by  any  twenty  men  in  the  last  three  hundred 
years. 


RETURN   TO   EDINBURGH.  Ill 

Besides  all  this,  the  revival  in  Glasgow  took  a  practi- 
cal turn ;  and,  as  never  before,  efforts  were  made  to  save 
the  vicious  and  to  help  the  worthy  poor.  So  great  was 
the  activity  of  Christians,  that  they  could  not  content 
themselves  with  ordinary  church  work ;  but  in  the  long 
evenings,  when  daylight  lingers  in  this  high  latitude, 
in  the  open  squares,  on  the  bridges  or  at  the  corners  of 
the  streets,  alone  or  in  little  companies,  devoted  Chris- 
tian men  and  women  might  be  seen  engaged  in  prayer, 
or  making  brief  addresses  to  groups  of  listeners,  or  lead- 
ing the  company  in  singing  some  of  the  favorite  gospel 
hymns. 

In  May  the  evangelists  returned  to  Edinburgh,  where 
on  the  21st  one  of  the  largest  assemblies  ever  seen 
in  that  city  was  gathered  in  the  Queen's  Park  to  hear 
for  the  last  time  the  living  words  and  touching  music 
of  the  beloved  heralds  of  salvation. 

During  the  summer  of  1874,  they  visited  most  of 
the  large  towns  in  Scotland,  and  their  names  became 
as  household  words  from  the  Cheviot  Hills  to  John 
O'Groat's.  Wherever  they  went,  the  pillar  and  the 
cloud  went  with  them ;  the  work  of  God  spread  and 
prevailed,  while  Christians  and  happy  converts  rejoiced 
at  the  glorious  manifestations  of  divine  power.  It  was 
indeed  a  time  of  gladness  to  that  land  of  many  saints 
and  martyrs ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  hour  were  near  at 
hand  when  the  prayer  of  John  Knox  — "  Give  me 
Scotland,  or  I  die  "  —  was  about  to  be  fully  answered. 

The  first  week  in  June,  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey 


112  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

spent  at  Perth,  on  the  river  Tay,  where  they  spoke  to 
crowded  meetings.  "  It  seemed,"  said  one,  "  as  if  God 
had  sent  his  servants  to  unlock  the  floodgates  of  his 
grace,  and  the  water  of  life  has  swept  out  in  deep  and 
steady  currents,  leaving  no  place  for  the  breaking 
waves  of  excitement  and  mere  feeling."  At  Dundee  a 
blessed  work  was  done.  At  Aberdeen  they  spoke, 
June  14,  in  the  natural  amphitheatre  of  the  Broadhill, 
to  some  twenty  thousand  anxious  people.  The  songs 
"  Almost  Persuaded,"  "  Come  Home,"  and  "  The  Lost 
Sheep,"  greatly  affected  them.  Many  conversions  fol- 
lowed. They  arrived  at  Tain,  having  about  two  thou- 
sand five  hundred  people,  on  the  13th  of  July.  The 
church  was  densely  crowded.  About  five  hundred 
stood  up  for  prayers,  and  tearful  eyes  testified  to  the 
power  of  song.  At  Huntley  as  many  as  fifteen  thou- 
sand were  present  at  the  meeting  in  the  open  air ;  yet 
Mr.  Moody  spoke  so  as  to  be  heard  by  every  person. 

An  outdoor  meeting  was  held  at  Elgin,  July  23, 
which  was  said  to  be  the  largest  ever  seen  in  that  city. 
It  was  on  Lady  Hill,  and  the  spectacle  was  most  impos- 
ing. "  Thousands,"  says  a  writer,  "  hung  spellbound 
on  the  speaker's  lips.  One  often  hears  doubts  as  to  the 
possibility  of  producing  an  impression  in  the  open  air, 
but  there  is  no  mistake  this  time.  No,  there  is  no  mis- 
taking these  long  concentric  arcs  of  wistful  faces 
curving  around  the  speaker,  and  these  reluctant  tears 
which  conscious  guilt  has  wrung  from  e}res  unused  to 
weep.     Oh  the  power  of  the  living  Spirit  of  God  !     Oh 


VISITS   BELFAST.  113 

the  fascination  of  the  gospel  of  Christ !  Oh  the  glad- 
ness of  the  old,  old  story  to  these  men  and  women 
hurrying  to  eternity  !  " 

The  last  meeting  which  the  evangelists  held  in  Scot- 
land was  at  Rothesay,  Sept.  3.  This  town  has  about 
seven  thousand  inhabitants,  and  stands  at  the  head  of  a 
beautiful  bay.  The  service  was  held  by  the  seashore 
on  the  esplanade,  as  many  as  three  thousand  persons 
being  present.  Mr.  Moody  spoke  with  remarkable 
energy.  The  exercises  were  continued  into  the  even- 
ing ;  the  stars  shone  out  brilliantly  over  the  bay ;  and 
the  Spirit  of  God  seemed  present,  turning  the  hearts  of 
the  spell-bound  multitude  to  make  ready  for  a  joyous 
meeting  in  our  Father's  home  on  high.  A  mighty 
work  had  been  accomplished  in  Scotland ;  and  the  tide 
of  religious  feeling  still  rolls  on  to  the  praise,  not  of  the 
human  agents,  but  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  selects  the 
weak  things  to  confound  the  mighty. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  the  two  earnest  workers 
began  their  labors  of  love  in  the  industrial  city  of 
Belfast,  Ireland.  Success  at  once  attended  them.  A 
daily  prayer-meeting  was  commenced ;  addresses  were 
made  to  Christian  workers ;  the  largest  churches  were 
densely  crowded ;  and,  at  an  outdoor  meeting  in  the 
Botanic  Gardens,  it  is  thought  that  as  many  as  tv  3nty- 
five  thousand  persons  were  present.  Many  were  con- 
verted. On  Sunday,  Sept.  13,  an  open-air  meeting  was 
held  for  the  people  working  in  the  mills,  where  from 
ten  to  twenty  thousand  were  present. 


114  LITE   OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

While  Mr.  Sankey  was  singing,  — 

"  Jesus  of  Xazareth  passeth  by,"  — 

many  people  manifested  their  emotion  by  sighs  and 
tears.  At  a  meeting  held  on  the  27th,  more  than  two 
hundred  young  men  came  forward  to  acknowledge 
Jesus.  "It  was  a  sight,"  says  one  present,  "which 
would  have  drawn  tears  of  joy  from  any  heart."  On 
sabbath  morning,  Oct.  4,  the  people  waiting  to  hear  the 
evangelists  stood  closely  packed  over  a  field  of  about  six 
acres.  The  impression  made  upon  the  multitude  was 
very  deep.  On  the  loth  of  October,  Mr.  Moody  pre- 
sided over  the  noonday  prayer  meeting  in  St.  Enoch's 
Church.  It  was  held  for  those  beginning  to  seek  Jesus, 
and  about  twenty-four  hundred  persons  were  by  tickets 
admitted.  On  the  17th  the  evangelists  held  their  last 
meeting  in  Belfast.  About  three  thousand  were  present. 
"  It  was,"  a  writer  says,  "  like  the  sound  of  many 
waters,  to  hear  this  multitude  sing  the  new  song.  As 
all  stood  and  sung  in  one  burst  of  praise,  — 

'  Oh,  happy  day  that  fixed  my  choice ! '  — 

the  effect  was  overpowering,  filling  the  soul  with  a 
sweet  foretaste  of  the  praises  of  heaven." 

After  a  brief  visit  to  Londonderry,  where  they  won 
some  trophies  of  grace,  the  revivalists  commenced 
laboring  in  the  city  of  Dublin,  which  contains  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  people,  on  the  24th  of 
October,  and  continued  there  until  the  29th  of  Novem- 
ber.    Many  prayers  had  been  offered  there  for  their 


VIEW  OF  AN  EPISCOPALIAN.  115 

success ;  tracts  concerning  the  glorious  work  in  Scot- 
land had  been  distributed,  noon  prayer-meetings  held, 
and  the  splendid  glass  building  called  the  Exhibition 
Palace  had  been  engaged  for  the  assemblies.  Day 
after  day  and  night  after  night  this  vast  edifice  was 
crowded  with  anxious  listeners,  seeking  to  know  the 
path  of  life.  The  evangelical  ministers  with  one 
accord  assisted  in  the  various  sendees,  and  people  came 
from  the  distant  counties  to  enjoy  the  refreshing  from 
on  high. 

"  We  have  never  before,"  wrote  an  Episcopal  minis- 
ter, "  seen  such  sights  in  Dublin.  One  feels  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  present,  and  that  a  wave  of  prayer  is 
continually  going  up  to  the  throne  from  the  Lord's  peo- 
ple. What  is  the  magic  power  which  draws  together 
these  mighty  multitudes,  and  holds  them  spellbound  ? 
It  is  the  simple  lifting  up  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  the 
holding  forth  the  Lord  Jesus  before  the  eyes  of  the 
people  in  all  the  glory  of  his  Godhead.  It  is  deeply 
instructive  to  see  the  things  new  and  old  which  Mr. 
Moody  draws  in  rich  profusion  from  the  treasury  of 
God's  word."  "  It  is  becoming,"  said  the  Rev.  J.  G. 
Phillips,  "a  more  personal  thing  with  many.  It  is  not 
simply  what  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey  have  to  sa}r, 
but  it  is,  What  have  Christ  and  Christianity  to  do  with 
ME?"  Sometimes  as  many  as  seven  hundred  inquirers 
would  remain  after  the  ordinary  services  had  closed,  to 
learn  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  One  old  gentle- 
man of  more  than  threescore  years  and  ten  at  one  of 


116  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

these  meetings  fell  upon  his  knees,  sobbing  like  a  child. 
"  I  was  utterly  careless  about  my  soul  till  last  night," 
cried  he  ;  "  but  I  have  been  so  unhappy  since,  I  could 
not  sleep.  I  seemed  to  hear  ringing  in  my  ears,  '  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  is  passing  by;'  and,  if  I  don't  get  saved 
now,  I  never  shall  be.'  Four  of  the  daily  papers  pub- 
lished full  reports  of  the  different  meetings,  and  the 
seeds  of  truth  were  thus  sown  broadcast  over  Ireland. 
Noblemen,  military  men,  professors  in  the  university, 
as  well  as  ministers,  lent  their  influence  to  carry  on  the 
revival;  and  in  many  instances  the  Roman  Catholic 
priests  were  present  at  the  meetings.  Such  cordial 
unity  of  sentiment  had  never  before  been  known  in 
Dublin.  The  straightforward,  off-hand  style  of  Mr. 
Moody,  and  his  flashes  of  real  mother-wit,  combined 
with  the  heartfelt  pathos  of  Mr.  Sankey's  singing, 
fairly  captivated  the  Irish  people ;  and  if  the  two  could 
have  remained  long  enough  it  is  possible  that  St. 
Patrick  might  have  been  supplanted  by  them.  A  con- 
vention of  three  days,  attended  by  more  than  eight 
hundred  ministers  and  others  from  all  parts  of  Ireland, 
closed  the  labors  of  the  evangelists  in  Dublin.  "  Aged 
ministers,"  says  one  present,  "bowed  their  gray  heads 
and  wept  at  times  with  joy.  At  one  point  during  the 
discussion  of  Ireland,  the  central  subject  of  the  day, 
and  when  Mr.  Sankey,  seizing  the  opportunity  with  his 
usual  tact,  sang  l  Hold  the  Fort '  alone,  and  the  minis- 
ters and  people  lifted  up  the  chorus  in  a  mighty  shout, 
the  enthusiasm  was  overpowering  and  altogether  hide- 


SHEFFIELD.  117 

scribable.  It  was  the  first  time  that  all  those  ministers 
had  met  on  a  platform  broader  than  their  churches;  and 
it  is  easy  to  see  already  that  the  impression  on  the 
country  is  very  deep." 

Leaving  Ireland,  the  evangelists  spent  the  month  of 
December  in  the  great  manufacturing  city  of  Manches- 
ter. It  is  a  sad  confession,  but  none  the  less  true,  that 
the  factory  system  of  England  tends  to  the  demoraliza- 
tion of  the  people.  The  blood  and  brains  and  muscles, 
if  not  the  souls,  of  multitudes  of  the  men  and  women 
of  Manchester  are  used  up  in  the  production  of  cheap 
yarns  and  cloths  for  the  various  markets  of  the  world. 
Thousands  and  thousands  of  poor,  uncared-for  people 
here,  who  had  heard  but  few  words  of  encouragement, 
and  fewer  still  of  love  and  blessing,  received  the  good 
news  of  salvation  from  the  lips  of  the  revivalists,  and 
caught  a  glimpse  of  heaven  that  will  help  them  on  till 
they  behold  the  King  in  his  beauty. 

Proceeding  from  Manchester  to  Sheffield,  a  city  of 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  people,  and 
famous  for  its  cutlery,  the  two  co-workers  began  their 
services  on  the  last  night  of  the  year,  and  remained  in 
the  place,  speaking  to  immense  congregations  in  Albert 
Hall  and  other  places ;  the  interest  continuing  to  in- 
crease until  the  departure  of  the  evangelists,  on  the 
17th  of  January,  1875,  for  Birmingham.  This  city  of 
four  hundred  thousand  people  has  been  called  "  the  toy- 
shop of  the  world."  It  received  the  gospel  gladly,  and 
was  the  scene  of  the  most  wonderful  triumphs  of  the 


118  LIFE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

grace  of  God.  The  revival  was  the  theme  of  conversa- 
tion in  every  home,  every  office,  every  manufactory ; 
and  multitudes  were  brought  to  confess  allegiance  to 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  people  of  these  manufacturing  cities  are  noted 
for  their  liberal  and  republican  ideas ;  they  have  often 
listened  to  the  eloquent  orations  of  the  great  modern 
English  statesmen ;  but  the  simple  utterances  of  Mr. 
Moody  pleased  them  more  than  the  studied  rhetoric  of 
their  ablest  speakers.  His  honest  Saxon  way  of  stating 
Bible  truths  produced  conviction,  and  led  many  to 
declare  for  Jesus. 

"  On  a  dull,  raw,  and  inclement  Sunday  morning  in 
January,  such  is  the  magic  of  their  names,' '  said  "  The 
News,"  "  that  they  can  crowd  a  large  hall  in  the 
centre  of  a  practical,  industrial  town,  with  worshippers, 
at  an  hour  which  would  be  considered  early  even  on  a 
week-day.  That  same  evening  they  attract  to  a  still 
larger  edifice  crowds  which  would  be  unusual  in  a 
period  of  intense  national  excitement.  Again  at  noon- 
day, when  the  bench  and  the  desk  chain  their  workers 
with  the  strongest  bonds,  thousands  after  thousands 
throng  to  meet  them  at  the  prayer-meeting  until  the 
Town  Hall  presents  the  appearance  of  a  gigantic  bee- 
hive, swarming  with  masses  of  people.  Nor  does  the 
story  close  here.  In  the  evening  at  Bingley  Hall  is 
gathered  together  an  assembly  which  equals  the  popu- 
lation of  many  towns.  A  small  harmonium,  a  few 
simple  hymns,  and  short,  stirring  addresses  on  religious 


VISIT   TO  LONDON.  119 

topics,  comprise  all  that  the  public  see  or  hear;  yet 
the  influence  of  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey  is  over- 
whelming." The  results  mentioned  were  greater  love 
and  activity  among  believers,  many  conversions,  and 
many  drawn  to  listen  to  the  gospel. 

In  the  mean  time,  zealous  Christian  men  were  raising 
a  vast  structure  capable  of  holding  eleven  thousand 
persons,  and  called  Victoria  Hall,  in  the  heart  of  Liver- 
pool, for  the  use  of  the  evangelists.  This  was  the  first 
one  built  for  them.  Here  from  the  7th  of  February 
to  the  7th  of  March  they  labored  with  their  wonted 
fervor,  and  with  even  greater  success  than  they  had 
previously  seen.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion was  very  active,  Christians  were  united,  the  taber- 
nacle was  capacious,  and  every  thing  conspired  to  make 
the  meetings  most  effectual  in  bringing  souls  to  Christ. 
Being  in  Liverpool  three  months  subsequent  to  the 
departure  of  the  evangelists,  the  writer  found  that  at 
least  two  meetings  a  day  had  been,  up  to  that  time, 
held  in  Victoria  Hall,  and  that,  while  he  was  attending 
service  there,  several  persons  were  awakened  and  re- 
solved to  seek  the  Lord. 

Leaving  Liverpool  on  the  9th  of  March,  the  evange- 
lists went  at  once  to  London,  and  commenced  their 
mission  in  the  great  metropolis,  not  only  of  the  British 
empire,  but  of  the  world.  It  is  a  nation  of  itself, 
made  up  of  all  kinds  of  peoples,  languages,  and  reli- 
gions. It  abounds  in  churches,  schools,  museums,  and 
places  of  amusement.     It  is  the  home,  for  half  the  year 


120  LIFE   OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

at  least,  of  the  royal  family,  and  most  of  the  nobility  of 
the  realm.  It  has  vast  masses  of  the  poorest  of  the 
poor,  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  known  and 
recorded  criminals,  and  is  demoralized  to  a  lamentable 
degree  by  the  use  of  strong  drink.  At  the  same  time, 
its  wealth  is  immense,  and  nowhere  on  the  face  of  the 
globe  is  there  greater  indulgence  in  luxurious  living. 
To  gain  the  attention  of  four  millions  of  such  people, 
scattered  over  a  territory  twenty  miles  in  length  by  ten 
in  width,  is  no  mean  undertaking.  Yet  Messrs.  Moody 
and  Sankey  did  this;  or,  rather,  God  did  it  through 
them. 

As  London,  like  the  city  spoken  of  in  Revelation, 
lies  four-square,  the  plan  was  to  reach  in  order  every 
section.  Four  centres  for  operation  were  selected, — 
first,  the  great  Agricultural  Hall  in  North  London, 
capable  of  seating  fourteen  thousand ;  second,  the 
Royal  Opera  House  at  the  West  End,  the  aristocratic 
part  of  the  town  ;  third,  the  Bow  Road  Hall  in  East 
London,  a  building  created  for  revival  services,  and 
holding  about  ten  thousand ;  and,  fourth,  the  Camber- 
well  Hall  in  South  London,  erected  for  the  use  of  the 
evangelists.  In  these  several  centres  of  aggressive 
work,  the  two  men  of  God  labored  with  unremitting 
devotion  from  the  9th  of  March  till  the  12th  of  July. 
The  results  were  such  as  to  surprise  all  beholders,  and 
bring  delight  to  all  who  love  the  cause  of  Christ. 
From  my  own  personal  observation  and  from  inquiries, 
the  conclusion  reached   was   that   the   city  in  all  its 


RESULTS   OF   THE  REVIVAL.  121 

history  had  never  before  seen  such  displays  of  the 
power  of  God  in  the  conversion  of  men  of  all 
classes  and  conditions.  The  number  of  the  saved 
was  far  above  the  anticipation  of  the  most  hope- 
ful. 

In  conversation  with  the  well-known  Newman  Hall, 
he  made  the  remark  that  never  before  had  any  Chris- 
tian minister  of  the  dissenting  churches  succeeded  in 
getting  the  ear  of  the  titled  nobility  of  England,  who, 
as  a  class,  were  in  sympathy  with  the  Established 
Church.  "  But,"  continued  he,  "  your  American  evan- 
gelists have  brought  us  all  together,  and  now  the  most 
common  thing  is  to  see  the  highest  people  in  the  land 
at  these  meetings.  Many  times  they  are  seen  sitting 
side  by  side  with  the  poorest." 

Eternity  can  alone  reveal  the  influences  of  these 
London  meetings ;  and  doubtless  they  will  be  felt  as 
long  as  time  endures.  One  of  the  grandest  of  English 
pulpit  orators  has  said,  "  The  moral  state  of  England 
is  of  immeasurable  importance  to  the  whole  human 
race ;  "  and  this  we  know  to  be  true,  because  the  rela- 
tions of  England  extend  to  every  part  of  the  globe. 
Hence  the  mighty  reformation  in  London  has  been 
world-wide  in  its  bearings.  It  has  swept  across  the 
Channel,  and  is  a  living  power  in  France  and  Germany  ; 
it  reaches  every  other  nation  in  Europe ;  it  touches 
Africa ;  it  is  felt  in  India,  China,  and  far-off  Australia. 
The  songs  of  Mr.  Sankey,  and  the  sermons  of  Mr. 
Moody,  are  translated  into  the  language  of  Madagascar, 


122  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

and  are  enjoyed  by  those  most  recently  converted  in 
the  lands  of  heathenism. 

The  universality  of  the  revival  work  in  Great  Britain 
was  continually  manifesting  itself  to  the  writer,  during 
a  long-extended  tour  through  that  country.  Mr.  Moody 
was  quoted  and  commended  in  a  sermon  preached  in 
the  cathedral  before  the  Archbishop  of  York.  The 
press,  almost  without  exception,  was  in  sympathy,  more 
or  less  pronounced,  with  the  movement.  Mr.  Moody's 
addresses  and  sermons  were  printed  and  scattered 
broadcast  over  the  whole  United  Kingdom  ;  and  the 
hymns  sung  by  Mr.  Sankey  were  circulated  by  the 
million.  It  was  a  pleasure  never  to  be  forgotten,  to 
hear  ten  thousand  Londoners  singing  heartily  "  Hold 
the  Fort,"  and  other  familiar  songs.  .Everybody 
seemed  to  know  them ;  and  in  the  cars,  the  homes  of 
the  people,  as  well  as  in  the  churches,  they  were  heard. 
It  was  almost  impossible  to  get  out  of  the  reach  of 
these  holy,  heavenly  melodies.  The  hearts  of  the  old 
and  young  were  filled  with  them. 

In  various  places  not  visited  by  the  evangelists, 
devout  Christians  were  full  of  zeal  for  God,  and  were 
doing  the  best  they  could  to  hold  revival  meetings 
after  the  style  of  the  men  whose  fame  had  entered  every 
hamlet  in  the  land ;  and  their  efforts  were  in  many 
instances  attended  with  success.  It  was  especially 
pleasant  to  observe  that  the  labors  of  these  two  earnest 
men  had  a  tendency  to  bind  England  and  America  in 
closer  bonds.      No  plans  of  diplomates,  no  carefully 


RESULTS   OF  THE  REVIVAL.  123 

digested  treaties,  no  congresses  of  the  advocates  of 
universal  peace,  have  ever  done  so  much  to  unify  the 
two  nations,  as  these  two  God-gifted  men.  The  kind- 
ness of  feeling  existing,  especially  among  the  middling 
and  the  lower  classes,  towards  America  and  the 
Americans,  was  simply  marvellous.  The  cause  of  this, 
to  a  very  marked  extent,  is  attributable  to  the  direct 
or  indirect  influences  of  Mr.  Moody's  words  and  Mr. 
Sankey's  songs.  Millions  of  English  Christians  felt 
themselves  strangely  in  love  with  American  Christians, 
full  of  good-will  to  our  country  and  her  institutions, 
and  desirous  of  her  future  welfare ;  and  though  they 
might  not  love  their  own  form  of  government  any  the 
less,  nor  abate  their  loyalty  to  their  Queen,  yet  it  was 
evident  that  they  were  ready  to  fraternize  most  cor- 
dially with  their  fellow-disciples  across  the  sea.  There 
was  enough  Christianity  in  the  two  nations  ten  years 
ago  to  enable  them  to  forego  a  bloody  quarrel,  and  after- 
wards to  settle  by  arbitration  a  case  that  seemed  almost 
beyond  honorable  and  peaceful  adjustment.  But  there 
is  more  of  real  Christlikeness  in  both  nations  now,  and 
we  can  hardly  conceive  of  circumstances  in  which  their 
kindred  people  should  resort  to  war.  American  evan- 
gelism in  England  and  English  evangelism  in  America 
antedate  the  dawn  of  the  millennial  glory  destined 
soon  to  break  upon  this  long-benighted  world.  The 
Christians  of  the  British  Isles,  standing  shoulder  to 
shoulder  with  the  Christians  of  America,  and  marching 
beneath  the  folds  of  the  radiant  banner  of  the  Prince  of 


124  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

peace,  shall  right  speedily  fill  the  world  with  their 
paeans  of  victory.  May  God  hasten  the  time,  and  bless 
all  who  pray  and  labor  for  a  consummation  so  much  to 
be  desired  I 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE     EVANGELISTS     RETURN     TO     AMERICA.  —  THEIR     WORK     IN 
BROOKLYN.  — IN  PHILADELPHIA.  —  IN  NEW  YORK. 

Farewell  to  England.  —  Mr.  Moody  visits  Northfield.  —  His  Bible. — 
How  he  is  Supported.  —  His  Brother  Converted.  —  Begins  to  preach 
at  Brooklyn.  —  The  First  Meeting.  —  A  Battle-Field.  —  The  Singing  of 
Mr.  Sankey.  —  Conversion  of  an  Infidel. — The  Interest  deepens. — 
"Hold  the  Fort."  —  How  God  forgives  Sin.  — Dr.  Cuyler's  Account 
of  the  Work.  — Meeting  of  Ministers.  — Letters  to  Converts  Abroad. 

—  "Only  Trust  Him."  — Mr.  Moody's  Activity.  —  Conversion  of  a 
Lady.  —  Preparations  in  Philadelphia.  —  The  Old  Freight  Depot.  — 
The  Opening  Service. — The  Classes  of  People  attending.  —  How  a 
London  Lady  works  for  Christ.  —  Cause  of  the  Success  of  the  Revi- 
valists. —  Thanksgiving  Day.  — President  Grant.  —Midnight  Watch- 
Meeting  for  Sabbath-School  Teachers.  —  George  H.  Stuart's  Letter. 

—  Results.  —  Closing  Words  to  Converts.  —  The  Orange-Tree.  —  Visit 
to  Princeton. 

"  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ;  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  helieveth."  —  St.  Paul. 

11  What  means  this  eager,  anxious  throng, 
Which  moves  with  busy  haste  along,  — 
These  wondrous  gatherings  day  by  day? 
What  means  this  strange  commotion,  pray? 
In  accents  hushed  the  throng  reply,  — 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by."  — Emma  Campbell. 

After  a  farewell  meeting  of  great  interest  held  in 
Camber  well  Hall,  July  11,  in  which  the  Earl  of 
Shaftesbury  said  that  if  the  American  evangelists  had 

125 


126  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

done  no  more  than  to  teach  the  people  to  sing  as  they 
did  such  hymns  as  — 

u  Hold  the  fort,  for  I  am  coming,"  — 

they  had  by  this  alone  conferred  on  them  an  estimable 
blessing,  the  party  left  for  Liverpool,  where  an  enthusi- 
astic assembly  of  seven  thousand  persons  greeted  them, 
and  received  their  parting  benediction.  Many  followed 
them  in  the  tender  to  the  steamer  "  Spain,"  in  which 
they  took  passage  for  America,  arriving  at  New  York 
on  the  14th  of  August,  1875.  During  the  voyage  the 
passengers  enjoyed  the  songs  of  Mr.  Sankey,  who,  on 
being  asked  how  he  and  his  co-laborer  had  been  able  to 
do  such  a  wonderful  work  in  Great  Britain,  replied, 
"  God  was  in  it." 

Mr.  Moody  repaired  at  once  to  the  old  homestead  in 
Northfield,  where  he  received  a  most  cordial  greeting 
from  his  beloved  mother  and  the  family  circle  ;  and  in 
the  seclusion  of  that  quiet  town  wrote  sermons,  and 
pursued  for  a  while  the  study  of  the  word  of  God. 
His  Bible  is  a  curiosity.  These  words  on  the  flyleaf, 
"  D.  S.  Moody,  Dublin,  December,  1872.  God  is  love. 
W.  Fay," — indicate  the  donor,  and  the  time  and  place 
where  it  was  riven.  It  is  full  of  lines  and  references 
made  with  ink  of  different  colors  ;  and  the  margins  of 
almost  every  page  are  covered  with  written  comments, 
annotations,  and  the  heads  of  sermons,  all  evincing 
close  and  critical  searching  for  the  honey  of  the  sacred 
volume.      As   an  heir  examines  the  will  conferring  a 


HIS   BROTHER   CONVERTED.  127 

grand  inheritance,  so  intently  Mr.  Moody  studies  the 
Bible.  "  What  would  you  know,"  says  he,  "  of  your 
boy's  letter,  if  you  were  to  read  the  superscription  on 
Monday,  look  at  the  signature  on  Friday,  and  read  a 
little  of  the  middle  of  it  three  months  afterwards?  I 
get  tired  towards  the  end  of  July,  and  I  go  away  to  the 
mountains.  I  take  the  Bible  with  me.  I  read  it 
through,  and  I  feel  as  if  I  had  never  seen  the  book 
before.  I  have  spent  most  of  my  life  in  reading  and 
expounding  it,  yet  it  seems  as  if  I  had  never  seen  it. 
It  is  so  new,  so  rich,  so  varied,  the  truth  flashing  from 
a  thousand  unexpected  and  undiscovered  points,  with  a 
light  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun.  That  summer 
reading  of  the  Bible  is  what  I  call  tuning  the  instru- 
ment." Mr.  Moody  has  bought  a  little  place  near  that 
of  his  mother,  overlooking  the  fair  valley  of  the  Con- 
necticut River,  with  the  Sugar-Loaf  Mountain  on  the 
south,  and  the  Green  Mountains  on  the  west;  and  in 
this  sjdvan  home  he  reposes  and  refits  himself  for  his 
evangelistic  labor.  His  sister,  Mrs.  J.  Bigelow  Walker, 
is  now  occupying  the  house.  But,  as  this  lay  preacher 
takes  no  compensation  for  his  services,  how  is  he  sup- 
ported ?  In  answer  to  this  question,  it  is  said  that  his 
friend  John  V.  Farwell  and  other  liberal  Christians  once 
remarked  to  him,  "  We  know  you  want  to  go  out  and 
preach  :  3-011  ought  to  do  it.  Go  ahead,  and  we  will  see 
that  you  have  the  means."  It  is  fortunate  for  Mr. 
Moody  that  he  has  such  noble  friends,  since  that 
anxiety  for  temporal  support,  which  disturbs  the  peace 


w 


, 


INVITED  TO   BKOOKLYK.  129 

of  so  many  servants  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  being 
removed,  he  can  give  himself  wholly  to  the  revival- 
work.  While  at  Northfield  many  people  came  from 
distant  towns  to  hear  him  preach ;  and  among  the  con- 
versions which  he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  was  that 
of  his  beloved  brother  Samuel.  "  He  became,"  says 
Mr.  Moody,  "  an  active  Christian ;  and,  when  they 
decided  to  have  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
for  that  town,  they  elected  him  for  a  president.  Oh, 
that  was  a  blessed  day  for  me,  when  my  brother,  con- 
verted to  God  after  twenty  years  of  prayer,  took 
charge  of  that  little  band  !  I  heard  him  make  his  first 
speech,  and  that  seemed  the  happiest  day  of  my  life. 
He  searched  for  souls  on  both  sides  of  the  Connecticut 
River.  More  conversions  took  place  after  I  left  than 
when  I  was  there.  .  .  .  No  one  knows  how  I  loved 
him,  and  how  I  rejoiced  with  great  joy." 

The  surprising  results  of  the  labors  of  Messrs.  Moody 
and  Sankey  in  Great  Britain  led  some  progressive 
Christians  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  N.Y.,  to  secure  their 
services  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1875.  The  public 
curiosity  was  excited,  and  extensive  preparations,  tem- 
poral and  spiritual,  were  made.  Subscriptions  in  money 
were  obtained,  the  Rink  on  Clermont  Avenue,  capable 
of  seating  about  five  thousand,  was  provided  for  the 
preaching,  and  Mr.  Talmage's  Tabernacle  for  the 
prayer-meetings.  Ministers  and  laymen  with  remarka- 
ble unanimity  engaged  in  the  good  work ;  union  meet- 
ings were  held  for  prayer ;  and  a  new  book  of  songs  was 
published  for  the  use  of  the  worshippers. 


ICO  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

Some  fears,  indeed,  were  entertained,  lest  the  revi- 
valists would  fail  to  make  the  same  impression  here  that 
they  had  done  abroad,  since  there  the  songs  and  ser- 
mons were  a  novelty.  But  on  the  24th  of  October  the 
evangelical  co-partners  came  up  to  the  contest  in  the 
panoply  of  God;  and  the  expectations  of  their  most 
zealous  friends  were  more  than  realized. 

"  Ah,  Lord  God !  behold,  thou  hast  made  the  heaven 
and  the  earth  by  thy  great  power  and  stretched-out 
arm, "  said  Mr.  Moody  as  he  commenced  his  work  in 
Brooklyn ;  "  and  there  is  nothing  too  hard  for  thee." 
So  by  His  strength  they  won  the  public  ear,  and  many 
hearts  to  Jesus. 

The  services  at  the  Rink  began  at  half-past  eight 
o'clock  on  Sunday  morning ;  but  long  before  that  time 
arrived,  the  streets  were  thronged  with  people  eager  to 
see  and  hear  the  men  of  whom  such  marvellous  ac- 
counts had  come  from  England.  They  surged  into  the 
building,  which  was  quickly  filled ;  and  the  doors  were 
closed  upon  the  disappointed  crowd.  Messrs.  Moody 
and  Sankey  appeared  upon  the  platform  (on  which  a 
choir  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  singers  was  seated)  at 
the  appointed  hour;  and  silence  reigned  in  the  vast 
congregation.  Mr.  Moody  then  rose,  and  gave  out 
from  the  u  Gospel  Hymns,"  — 

"  Rejoice  and  be  glad  !  the  Redeemer  has  come,"  — 

which  was  sung  by  Mr.  Sankey  and  the  choir.     Some 
one  then  present  describes   Mr.  Moody  as  having  "  a 


THE  FIRST   MEETING.  131 

ruddy,  almost  English  face,  covered  to  the  cheek-bones 
with  a  heavy  brown  beard  and  moustache ; "  and  as 
having  also  a  husky  tenor  voice  which  he  sent  forth 
with  earnestness  and  power.  After  a  prayer  by  one 
of  the  ministers  present,  Mr.  Sankey  sung  or  rather 
chanted  with  great  effect,  — 

M  Hark,  the  voice  of -Jesus  crying,  — 
Who  will  go  and  work  to-day  ?  " 

when  Mr.  Moody  rose,  and  delivered  a  thrilling  ad- 
dress from  Num.  xiii.  30,  "  Let  us  go  up  at  once,  and 
possess  it."  The  intense  earnestness  of  the  speaker 
held  the  audience  breathless.  "  I  say  to  you  to-day," 
said  he,  "  there  is  only  one  obstacle  to  a  revival ;  and 
that  is  the  unbelief  in  the  churches.  Sinners  and  the 
Devil  cannot  stop  a  revival :  it  is  only  the  unbelief  of 
the  Church  that  can  do  it.  If  we  will  trust  God,  we 
need  not  fear  the  rumsellers  nor  the  sabbath-breakers. 
It  is  not  we  who  fight,  but  God  through  us.  You  would 
laugh  at  seven  priests  marching  around  the  walls  of 
Jericho,  blowing  ram's  horns.  If  the  doctors  of  Brook- 
lyn were  to  blow  trumpets,  you  would  say  they  should 
be  silver  or  gold.  But  God's  way  is  not  our  way.  I 
would  like  to  speak  through  a  ram's  horn  to  the  forty 
thousand  ministers  of  the  United  States  to-clay,  and 
ask  whether  they  are  ready  to  fall  into  line  and  go  up 
and  possess  the  land." —  "  We  are  all  ready,"  cried  Mr. 
Stuart  of  Philadelphia.  "  Then,"  continued  Mr.  Moody 
amidst  great  sensation,  "let  us    go  up  and    possess 


132 


Lrri:  of  dwtght  lvman  moody. 


the  land."  When  Mr.  Moody  closed,  his  coadjutor 
sung  most  appropriately  and  affectingly  the  song  by 
Mr.  Bliss, — 

"  Only  an  armor-bearer,  proudly  I  stand, 
Waiting  to  follow  at  the  King's  command." 

Of  this  first  meeting  Dr.  Cuyler  said,  "  It  has  been  a 
great  awakening  for  the  Brooklyn  people.  There  is 
not  another  man  in  the  world  but  Moody  who  could 
have  got  them  out  of  bed  at  such  an  hour  on  Sunday 
morning."  The  most  rapid  phonographic  reporters 
found  it  impossible  to  keep  pace  with  Mr.  Moody  in 
his  most  impassioned  utterances,  sometimes  at  the  rate 
of  two  hundred  and  twenty  words  a  minute  ;  but  his 
most  important  thoughts  were  taken,  and  by  the  public 
press  disseminated  through  the  world.  In  the  after- 
noon, thousands  were  unable  to  gain  access  to  the 
Rink,  and  what  are  called  "  overflow-meetings  "  were 
held  in  several  of  the  neighboring  churches.  Mr. 
Moody's  theme  was  from  1  Cor.  i.  1,  "I  declare  unto 
you  the  gospel,"  which,  after  the  singing  of  "  The 
Ninety  and  Nine  "  by  Mr.  Sankey,  he  developed  with 
surprising  earnestness  and  power;  closing  with  this 
telling  illustration :  — 


44  A  friend  of  mine  in  Paris  said  that,  when  Prussia 
was  at  war  with  France,  they  went  out  one  night 
to  bring  in  the  wounded  men.  They  were  afraid 
to  take  out  lights,  for  fear  of  getting  bullets  from  the 


A   BATTLE-FIELD.  133 

enemy.  When  they  thought  they  had  taken  up  all  the 
wounded,  and  all  was  silent  on  the  field,  a  man  from  a 
high  spot  of  ground  cried  in  a  loud  voice,  asking  if 
there  were  any  who  wished  to  be  taken  into  Paris,  and 
telling  them  that  the  ambulance  was  ready.  Before  he 
spoke  it  was  silent ;  but  the  moment  he  ceased  speak- 
ing, and  the  men  knew  that  there  was  help,  there  was 
a  cry  all  over  the  field.  Now,  I  come  to-day  to  tell  you 
there  is  One  willing  to  save,  that  there  is  help.  Let 
a  cry  go  up,  Shepherd,  save  me  from  death  and  hell ! 
This  is  the  gospel.  We  have  no  new  gospel.  Some 
will  say  that  '  it  is  the  old  story ;  we  thought  we  were 
going  to  hear  something  new :  '  but  we  have  nothing 
new ;  we  have  only  the  old  gospel.  This  to  me  is  as 
fresh  as  it  was  twenty  years  ago :  and,  when  I  give  up 
preaching  this  gospel,  I  shall  go  to  farming  or  some- 
thing else ;  for  I  know  not  what  else  to  do."  Thus 
the  work  of  the  evangelists  in  the  "  City  of  Churches  " 
was  most  auspiciously  begun. 

It  was  arranged  that  during  the  week  meetings  should 
be  held  at  the  Tabernacle,  commencing  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening  at  the  Rink.  At  the 
first  meeting  in  the  former  place,  every  seat  was  filled, 
a  great  number  of  ministers  being  present.  The  beau- 
tiful hymn,  "  Sweet  Hour  of  Prayer, "  was  sung  by  the 
vast  audience,  and  Mr.  Moody  spoke  with  telling  effect 
upon  the  theme  that  "  Nothing  is  too  hard  for  God." 
In  the  evening  at  the  Rink,  which  was  densely  crowded, 
and  after  singing  "  I  need  Thee  every  Hour, "  "  Free 


134  LIFE  OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

from  the  Law,  Oh !  Happy  Condition,  "  and  "Jesus  of 
Nazareth  passeth  by, "  Mr.  Moody  spoke  from  Rom.  iii. 
22,  "  There  is  no  Difference  ;  "  showing  by  apt  illustra- 
tions how  Christ  brings  us  out  by  substitution  from  the 
penalty  of  the  law.  The  singing  of  Mr.  Sankey  was  so 
felicitously  adapted  to  the  subject,  and  so  touchingly 
pathetic,  that  a  profound  impression  was  made  upon 
the  audience.  Mr.  Moody  treats  spiritual  themes  in  a 
business-like  and  practical  manner,  without  any  sort  of 
cant  or  affectation.  His  language  frequently  is  very 
plain,  sometimes  ungrammatical :  hence  the  songs  of 
Mr.  Sankey,  which  are  characterized  by  a  certain  Scot- 
tish tenderness,  come  in  to  complement  what  is  wanting 
in  the  speaker.  It  is  certainly  the  fitting  union  of  the 
two  that  makes  the  whole  complete. 

In  his  Tuesday  morning's  service,  Mr.  Moody  said, 
"  I  have  hopes  of  the  work  in  Brooklyn,  not  from  the 
crowds  at  the  Rink,  but  from  these  throngs  at  the 
morning  prayer-meetings.  Let  us  unite  in  this  work, 
that  a  wail  may  go  up  from  this  city, '  Lord,  what  can  I  do 
to  be  saved?  '  We  must  shut  ourselves  up  in  our  closets 
every  day,  and  pray  until  his  gifts  are  bestowed.  In 
London  I  knew  a  woman  who  had  an  infidel  husband. 
She  prayed  every  day  for  him,  for  a  whole  year ;  not  suc- 
ceeding, she  resolved  to  pray  every  day  for  six  months 
longer.  One  day  on  going  to  her  room,  she  found  him 
there  praying, <  O  God,  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  ! '  He 
is  a  great  business  man  in  Europe,  and  has  built  a 
church  at  his  own  expense." 


135 


It  was  evident  that  the  special  presence  of  God  was 
in  the  meetings,  kindling  the  hearts  of  ministers  and 
people,  producing  unity  of  sentiment  among  Christians, 
and  bringing  many  of  the  unconverted,  especially  young 
men,  to  seek  salvation.  Many  requests  were  made  for 
prayer,  many  inquiry-meetings  were  held,  and  many 
churches  were  quickened  in  the  revival  work.  Day 
after  day,  week  after  week,  the  religious  interest  deep- 
ened, and  Mr.  Moody  said,  "  I  have  nowhere  found  more 
impressionable  audiences  than  in  Brooklyn ;  and  the 
most  encouraging  feature  is  the  union  of  the  churches." 

On  Sunday  morning,  Oct.  31,  Mr.  Moody  preached 
with  his  usual  fervor  to  a  vast  concourse  of  people  in 
the  Rink,  on  courage  and  enthusiasm,  and  in  his  ser- 
mon said,  "  I  would  rather  have  a  man  with  zeal  and 
wanting  in  knowledge,  than  a  man  of  much  learning 
and  little  zeal.  The  former  may  do  much  good  in  the 
world:  the  latter  helps  no  one  but  himself;"  and  when 
he  prayed,  "  May  God  give  us  the  holy  fire  of  heaven ! " 
the  "  amens"  from  the  audience  testified  to  the  impres- 
sion which  he  made.  In  giving  out  the  hymn,  "  Hold 
the  Fort,  for  I  am  coming,"  he  said  that  during  the 
Rebellion  one  of  the  Union  officers  in  command  of  a 
fort  closely  invested  by  Gen.  Hood  was  by  the  distress 
of  his  men  almost  persuaded  to  surrender  the  position, 
when  he  received  a  despatch  from  Gen.  Sherman  to 
this  effect :  "  Hold  the  fort,  for  I  am  coming.  —  W.  T. 
Sherman."  It  inspired  the  soldiers  with  confidence : 
they  kept  up  courage,  and  were  saved.   "  Mr.  Sankey," 


136  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

says  a  writer,  "produced  a  remarkable  effect  by  the 
manner  in  which  he  rendered  the  last  line,  4  Victory  is 
nigh,1  and  dwelt  with  redoubled  force  upon  the  word 
4  Hold  '  until  the  vast  chorus  of  singers  had  caught  the 
spirit  and  action  of  the  leader."  In  the  afternoon  at 
the  Rink,  services  were  held  exclusively  for  women, 
when  more  than  six  thousand  were  present ;  at  the 
same  time  Mr.  Xeedham,  a  well-known  Irish  revivalist, 
held  an  "  overflow-meeting  M  in  one  of  the  churches.  At 
the  prayer-meeting  on  Monday  morning  following,  Mr. 
Moody  appointed  a  fast  for  Not.  12 ;  and  in  the  even- 
ing at  the  Rink  he  preached  his  celebrated  sermon  on 
the  "  Lifting-up  of  the  Son  of  Man,"  in  which  he  said 
with  great  emphasis,  "If  there  is  any  one  here  who 
will  be  lost,  it  will  not  be  because  Adam  sinned  six 
thousand  years  ago,  but  because  he  fails  to  accept  the 
religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  can  save  any  man." 
During  the  prayer-meeting,  at  which  the  writer  was 
present,  Wednesday,  Nov.  3,  Mr.  Sankey  sung  with 
exquisite  tenderness  Miss  Fanny  J.  Crosby's  beautiful 

song,  — 

"  Pass  me  not,  O  gentle  Saviour! 

Hear  my  humble  cry  : 

TYhile  on  others  thou  art  smiling, 

Do  not  pass  me  by,"  — 

and  Mr.  Moody  commented  interestingly  on  the  one 
hundred  and  third  Psalm,  saying  :  — 

"  If  the  Lord  forgives  at  all,  he  forgives  all  our  sins. 


HOW   GOD  FORGIVES  SIN.  137 

Ezekiel  says  they  are  not  even  mentioned.  They  are 
rolled  into  the  sea  of  forgetfulness.  We  greatly  dis- 
honor God  by  bringing  up  our  sins  after  he  has  forgiven 
them.  Hundreds  of  Christians  are  all  the  time  doing 
this.  Suppose  my  little  child  has  disobeyed  me,  and 
comes  to  me  and  says,  '  Papa,  I  did  what  you  told  me 
not  to  do  :  I  want  to  be  forgiven.'  She  has  deep  and 
genuine  repentance.  I  kiss  away  her  tears,  and  forgive 
her.  She  then  comes  to  me  the  next  day,  and  wants  to 
talk  about  it.  '  No,'  says  I,  '  it  is  all  forgiven.'  The 
next  day  she  says, '  Papa,  won't  you  forgive  me  for  that 
sin  I  did  two  days  ago  ? '  I  think  it  would  grieve 
me.  Suppose  she  came  to  me  every  morning  for  six 
months  :  would  it  not  grieve  me  and  dishonor  me  ? 
God  has  not  only  forgiven  our  sins,  but  removed  them 
for  time  and  eternity.  Ought  one  to  dishonor  and 
grieve  him  by  bringing  them  up  before  him  every 
day?" 

Mr.  Moody's  remarks  were  pointed  and  logical,  clos- 
ing with  an  unstudied  but  effective  climax.  His  Bible- 
readings  in  the  afternoon  were  numerously  attended, 
and  served  to  deepen  the  revival  spirit.  In  the  even- 
ing at  the  Rink  he  preached  on,  "  The  Son  of  man  is 
come  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost,"  and 
closed  with  a  prayer  so  affecting  that  many  of  the 
audience  wept,  and  his  own  voice  was  choked  by  his 
emotion.  In  the  evening  service  at  the  Rink  on 
Friday,  Nov.  5,  Mr.  Moody  spoke  on  u  Where  art 
thou  ?  "  and  said  in  his  discourse,  "  Oh  that  God  would 


138  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

wake  up  the  slumbering  church  of  to-day,  when  men 
count  themselves  good  Christians  if  they  attend  church 
and  criticise  the  sermon !  " 

At  the  last  of  the  three  meetings  on  Sunday,  Nov.  7, 
tickets  were  issued  to  those  not  professing  religion  ; 
but  many  were  unable  to  gain  admission.  At  this 
service  about  three  thousand  copies  of  the  gospel  were 
distributed  ;  and  Mr.  Moody,  after  prayer  and  the  sing- 
ing of  "  The  Ninety  and  Nine,"  preached  with  much 
feeling  on  the  tender  compassion  of  Christ.  During  the 
service  a  woman  fainted,  when  some  one  called  out  for 
a  physician.  Improving  the  occasion,  the  preacher 
said,  "  I  have  the  Great  Physician  to  offer  you :  he  will 
cure  your  sins,  and  wipe  out  the  stains  of  }^our  soul,  as 
well  as  heal  your  body."  At  the  close  of  the  second 
week's  work,  Dr.  Cuyler  wrote,  "God's  people  keep 
in  sweet  unison.  The  press,  secular  as  well  as  religious, 
continues  its  good  behavior.  Many  souls  are  rejoicing 
in  a  new  birth.  .  .  .  One  of  the  grandest  blessings  of 
the  Week  has  been  Brother  Moody's  three  afternoon 
lectures  on  *  Studying  God's  Word.'  He  has  made  the 
Bible  a  new  book  to  hundreds." 

The  revival  meetings  continued  through  the  third 
week  with  deepening  interest.  Five  meetings  were 
held  on  Thursday,  at  one  of  which  a  German  pastor 
spoke  of  a  young  man  who  was  converted  by  hearing 
Mr.  Sankey  sing  Mr.  P.  P.  Bliss's  hymn,  "Almost 
persuaded."  In  the  Bible-reading  upon  "  Grace,"  Mr. 
Moody  said  he  believed  John  Bunyan  would  thank  God 


LETTERS   TO  CONVERTS  ABROAD.  139 

for  Bedford  Jail,  and  that  the  Devil  found  a  match  in 
him.  On  Friday,  Nov.  12,  the  day  appointed  for  fast- 
ing, nearly  one  hundred  ministers  were  present  at  the 
early  prayer-meeting  in  the  Lay  College ;  and  many  of 
them  fell  upon  their  knees,  confessing  their  jealousies 
and  hard-heartedness.  At  the  meeting  in  the  Taberna- 
cle, which  was  crowded,  after  the  singing  of  "  Hold 
the  Fort,"  Mr.  Moody  said,  speaking  of  Daniel,  "  He 
held  on  to  prayer  until  he  heard  from  heaven.  So  let 
us  hold  fast  at  this  hour  until  we  get  the  desire  of  our 
hearts."     It  was  a  precious  season  to  all  present. 

Mr.  Moody  wrote  this  day  to  his  converts  in  Great 
Britain  a  very  affectionate  letter,  in  which  he  says, 
"  Pack  your  memories  full  of  passages  of  Scripture,  with 
which  to  meet  Satan  when  he  comes  to  tempt  or  accuse 
you ;  and  be  not  content  to  know,  but  strive  to  obey,  the 
word  of  God.  Never  think  that  Jesus  has  commanded 
a  trifle,  nor  dare  to  trifle  with  any  thing  he  has  com- 
manded. I  exhort  the  young  women  to  great  modera- 
tion. .  .  .  Keep  one  little  thought  in  mind, — I 'have 
none  but  Jesus  to  please.  And  so  make  your  dress  as 
simple  as  you  know  will  please  your  Lord ;  make  your 
deportment  as  modest  as  you  know  will  commend  itself 
to  him." 

On  Sunday  afternoon  Mr.  Moody  preached  exclu- 
sively to  the  women  admitted  on  tickets,  taking  for  his 
subject  "  Trust."  After  many  earnest  appeals  to  his 
audience,  he  invited  those  who  were  willing  to  trust 
the  Lord  to  rise.     Most  of  the  congregation  did  so,  and 


140  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

he  then  gave  out  the  hymn,  M  Only  trust  Him,"  asking 
those  who  had  arisen  to  sing  the  chorus,  — 

"  Only  trust  him,  only  trust  him,"  — 

which  they  did. 

"  Now,"  said  Mr.  Sankey,  "  can't  we  sing  it,  i  I  will 
trust  him  '  ?  and  at  the  end  he  said,  "  Now  let  us  sing 
it, 4 1  do  trust  him  ! '  "  —  "  Yes,"  interrupted  Mr.  Moody, 
"  sing  it  if  you  can,  but  don't  lie."  New  voices  were 
added  to  the  chorus,  when  Mr.  Moody  cried  impetuously, 
"  Sing  on  !  we're  making  heaven  glad  this  afternoon  ; 
but  don't  sing  a  lie."  After  it  had  been  several  times 
repeated,  he  continued,  "  Now  we'll  sing  it  as  a  doxol- 
ogy,  and  then  go  home." 

The  revivalists  closed  their  labors  in  Brooklyn  on 
Friday,  the  19th  of  November,  the  demand  for  tickets 
of  admission  and  the  tide  of  religious  interest  continu- 
ing to  rise  until  the  last.  During  their  brief  stay  in 
the  city  it  is  estimated  that  as  many  as  three  thousand 
persons  attended  the  inquiry-meetings,  and  as  many  as 
twenty  thousand  persons  heard  the  gospel  daily  from 
their  lips.  During  the  last  twelve  days  the  committee 
issued  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  tickets  of 
admission ;  and  the  desire  to  hear  the  co-laborers  be- 
came more  intense  as  the  time  for  their  departure  drew 
near. 

The  activity  of  Mr.  Moody  during  his  stay  in  Brook- 
lyn was  amazing.  From  it  ministers  who  complain  that 
preaching  one  day  in  seven  is  above  their  strength  may 


CONVERSION  OF  A  LADY.  141 

learn  a  salutary  lesson.  He  conducted  daily  a  great 
morning  meeting  at  the  Tabernacle,  a  Bible  meeting  in 
the  afternoon,  preached  a  sermon  in  the  evening  at  the 
Rink,  attended  an  inquiry-meeting  after  it,  and  then, 
returning  to  the  Tabernacle,  addressed  at  nine,  p.m.,  a 
congregation  of  young  men.  Few  preachers  know  what 
they  can  do  until  the  Holy  Spirit  moves  them  to  bring 
forth  all  their  power  for  the  conversion  of  their  fellow- 
men. 

When  the  revival  was  at  its  height,  a  very  wealthy, 
cultivated,  and  sceptical  lady  from  New  York  went 
over  to  hear  Mr.  Moody  preach.  She  was  amazed  and 
a  little  disgusted  by  his  style  of  oratory.  But  for  some 
reason,  which  probably  she  could  not  have  defined,  she 
went  again ;  still  again.  On  her  fourth  visit  she  passed 
into  the  inquiry-room,  and  said  to  Mr.  Moody  that  she 
would  like  to  hear  from  him,  directly  and  privately, 
his  argument  why  she  should  become  a  Christian.  He 
answered  her,  saying,  "  Madam,  I  know  of  no  surer 
way  to  reach  your  heart  than  through  prayer.  Let  us 
pray."  Mr.  Moody  knelt.  His  manner  was  such  that 
the  lady  could  not  choose,  but  knelt  beside  him.  He 
asked  her  to  repeat  after  him  his  prayer.  In  low,  ear- 
nest tones,  and  with  all  the  tender  and  pathetic  phrase- 
ology of  which  on  occasions  he  is  master,  he  uttered  his 
supplication,  pausing  after  each  sentence  for  his  com- 
panion to  follow.  The  prayer  concluded  with  the 
vow,  — 

"  And  now,  O  Lord,  I  give  my  life  to  thee  !  " 


142  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

"  Mr.  Moody,"  said  the  lady,  in  a  Lard,  painful  whis- 
per, "  I  cannot  say  that :  truly  I  cannot." 

Mr.  Moody  made  no  reply,  nor  did  he  change  his 
position.  There  was  a  pause  of  half  a  minute.  Then 
again  he  uttered  the  words,  — 

"  And  now,  O  Lord,  I  give  my  life  to  thee." 

The  lady,  trembling,  did  not  respond.  The  evangel- 
ist paused  for  about  the  same  space  as  before,  motion- 
less. And  now,  with  a  voice  still  more  resolute  and 
fervid,  he  repeated  for  the  third  time  the  pledge. 
After  a  momentary  interval  of  silence,  the  new  con- 
vert said,  — 

"  And  now,  O  Lord,  I  give  my  life  to  thee." 

Mr.  Moody  rose,  took  his  weeping  charge  by  the 
hand  with  the  words,  "  Madam,  I  devoutly  thank  God," 
and  led  her  quietly  to  the  door.  She  has  ever  since 
been  actively  employed  in  religious  work. 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  numerically  the  results  of  the 
revival :  but  while  many  conversions,  manifesting  the 
gracious  presence  of  the  Lord,  occurred  from  day  to 
day,  the  sacred  flame  of  love  to  God  and  man  was  made 
to  burn  more  radiantly  in  many  a  Christian  heart ;  and 
thousands  of  ministers  and  teachers  who  had  come  from 
afar  to  catch  new  inspiration  for  their  work  went  home 
to  infuse  fresh  life  into  the  spirits  of  those  whom  they 
instructed.  The  press,  too,  spread  the  living  words  of 
truth  among  the  people,  reaching  millions  daily  who 
could  not  personally  come  within  the  magnetic  influence 
of  the  great  evangelists. 


THE  EEVIVALISTS   IN   PHILADELPHIA.  143 

Arrangements  were  made  for  Messrs.  Moody  and 
Sankey  to  commence  laboring  in  Philadelphia  on  the 
21st  of  November.  An  old  freight  depot  on  Thir- 
teenth and  Market  Streets  was  hired  for  two  months, 
and  fitted  up  at  an  expense  of  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  by  the  liberality  of  the  noble  Christian,  John 
Wannamaker ;  and  a  choir  of  six  hundred  singers,  under 
the  direction  of  William  S.  Fischer,  was  well  trained 
for  the  occasion.  The  vast  auditorium  was  provided 
with  more  than  ten  thousand  chairs,  and  mottoes  from 
the  Bible  were  inscribed  in  large  scarlet  letters  on  the 
walls.  Lighted  by  about  a  thousand  gas-burners,  and 
filled  with  people,  this  immense  room  presented  a 
magnificent  appearance. 

The  Philadelphians  are  proverbially  sober,  staid,  and 
quiet ;  the  ministers  and  churches  undemonstrative  and 
averse  to  change.  It  was,  then,  with  many  a  serious 
question  whether  the  revivalists  would  ever  fill  the 
building,  or  make  any  durable  impression  on  the  public 
mind.  The  clergymen  were  not  very  well  united,  nor 
had  there  been  any  such  preparatory  prayer  as  opened 
the  way  for  the  work  in  Brooklyn.  But  the  words  of 
the  Bible  and  the  hearts  of  men  are  everywhere  the 
same ;  and,  when  brought  together  by  the  burning 
tongue  of  some  God-appointed  prophet,  the  result  is 
ever  the  same.  Great  expectations  had  been  raised 
on  the  part  of  the  friends  of  the  movement,  for  the 
opening  of  the  work  on  Sunday,  Nov.  21.  But  the 
rain  came  down  in  torrents ;  the  seats  in  the  churches 


144 


LIFE  OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 


THE  CLASSES  OF  TEOPLE  ATTENDING.  145 

generally  were  vacant.  At  the  morning  service  in  the 
Market-street  Tabernacle,  however,  there  were  at  least 
nine  thousand  people  present.  The  aim  of  Mr.  Moody 
here,  as  in  other  places,  was  to  awaken  Christians  to 
the  necessity  of  personal  labor  for  the  salvation  of  their 
fellow-men.  After  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Richard 
Newton,  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  singing 
of  the  hymn  by  Mr.  Sankey,  — 

"  Ring  the  bells  of  heaven,"  — 

Mr.  Moody  said,  "Some  ask,  'What  is  the  object  of 
these  special  meetings  ?  are  there  not  churches  and 
ministers  enough  in  Philadelphia  ?  We  have  come 
just  to  help.  In  the  time  of  the  harvest,  extra  help 
is  needed;  and  harvest  time  is  now.  I  have  been  in 
the  school  of  Christ  for  twenty  years,  and  I  have  never 
seen  a  better  time  than  the  present.  We  are  right  in 
the  midst  of  the  blessings  from  heaven.  Three  classes 
attend  these  meetings,  and  I  wish  the  first  class  might 
be  brought  over  to  the  third.  The  first  class,  some  of 
whom  are  Christians,  come  out  of  mere  curiosity :  they 
come  to  criticise,  but  it  does  not  take  brains  nor  heart 
to  find  fault.  To  such  I  say,  '  Can  you  do  better  ?  If 
so,  take  hold  and  show  us  how.' 

uThe  second  class  come  just  to  enjoy  themselves;  and 
when  they  leave  they  say  to  each  other,  4  Didn't  we 
have  a  good  meeting  ?  '  They  always  come  early,  and 
take  all  the  good  seats.  They  are  always  ready  to 
receive,  but  have  nothing  to  give.     We  do  not  want 


146  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

such  people  here :  we  want  ten  thousand  workers. 
The  third  class  consist  of  such.  They  come  to  watch 
and  pray  for  souls ;  and,  when  they  find  one  by  their 
side  weeping  for  sins,  they  take  him  to  the  inquiry- 
room,  and  show  him  the  way  to  life.  A  lady  in  Lon- 
don," said  he  in  conclusion,  "  succeeded  in  converting 
one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  and  in  speaking  of  it 
she  said,  '  We  did  not  work :  we  just  laid  ourselves  out 
for  Christ.'  That's  the  way  to  do  it :  don't  count  your 
strokes,  just  lay  yourselves  out.  Go  ye  into  the  vine- 
yard :  don't  wait  for  the  harvest,  for  —  hark!"  and 
after  the  breathless  assembly  had  waited  a  moment, 
hearing  only  the  rain-drops  pattering  on  the  roof,  he 

added,  — 

' ' '  Hark  !  the  voice  of  Jesus  crying, 

Who  will  go  and  work  to-day  ?  ' ' 

when  Mr.  Sankey  sung  the  song  with  marvellous 
pathos  and  effect.  No  such  singing  had  ever  before 
been  heard  in  the  churches  of  the  "  Quaker  City." 

The  services  in  the  afternoon  commenced  at  four 
o'clock ;  but  an  hour  before,  the  entire  building  was 
crowded,  and  thousands  failed  to  gain  admittance.  Mr. 
Moody  spoke  on  moral  courage  and  enthusiasm,  with 
his  usual  force  ;  and  his  appeals  were  sent  home  to 
the  heart  by  the  spirited  hymns,  "  Hear  ye  the  Battle- 
Cry, "  and  "  Hold  the  Fort,"  as  sung  by  Mr.  Sankey, 
with  the  well-trained  choir  upon  the  chorus. 

Thus  was  the  revival  work  inaugurated.  The  plans 
adopted   and  the  sermons  preached  were   almost   the 


THANKSGIVING  DAY.  147 

same  as  those  in  Brooklyn,  and  week  after  week  the 
surging  crowd  continued  to  fill  the  Tabernacle.  The 
speaker  had  a  blunt,  ungraceful  manner,  an  unstudied 
diction,  and  a  husky,  high-keyed  voice.  What,  then, 
drew  out  the  people  in  such  numbers  ?  what  enchained 
as  by  an  enchantment  their  attention  ?  One  attributed 
the  interest  to  the  reputation  of  the  revivalists  ;  but 
how  had  they  gained  that  reputation  ?  Another  said 
it  was  their  way  of  putting  things ;  but  many  min- 
isters in  the  city  had  more  eloquent  ways  of  putting 
things.  Still  another  said  it  was  by  hammering  at 
the  heart  with  a  sublime  persistence  ;  but  some  others 
did  this  without  making  an  impression.  The  revival- 
ists themselves  said,  "  It  is  because  the  Spirit  of  God 
is  moving  the  hearts  of  men  ;  "  and  this  undoubtedly 
was  the  true  solution  of  the  problem. 

On  Thanksgiving  Day  the  auditorium  was  decorated 
with  the  national  banners,  and  as  many  as  eleven 
thousand  people  listened  with  rapt  attention  to  the 
fervid  utterances  of  the  two  great  modern  apostles  of 
the  gospel.  "  If  you  want  to  praise  God,"  said  Mr. 
Moody,  "  go  and  do  some  work ;  lift  up  somebody, 
relieve  the  sick,  and  comfort  the  heart-broken.  By  so 
doing  it  will  be  the  best  praise  that  we  can  give  to 
God.  .  .  .  Oh  that  we  may  have  live  churches !  Oh 
that  we  may  get  rid  of  these  dead  churches,  with  their 
cold  forms  and  ceremonies,  and  have  them  filled  with 
live,  happy  people  !  "  Then  the  choir  and  congregation 
broke  forth  into  the  song,  — 


148  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

"  We  praise  thee,  O  God!  for  the  Son  of  thy  love, — 
For  Jesus  who  died  and  is  now  gone  above,"  — 

after  which  Mr.  Sankey,  having  told  a  touching  story  of 
a  prodigal  son,  sung  with  sweet  expression,  — 

"  There  were  ninety  and  nine  that  safely  lay 
In  the  shelter  of  the  fold, 
But  one  was  out  on  the  hills  away, 
i^aroff  from  the  gates  of  gold." 

Mr.  Moody's  Bible-readings  proved  to  be  a  great 
attraction  to  the  Philadelphians,  as  many  as  five 
thousand  being  sometimes  present  to  hear  his  felicitous 
interpretations  of  Holy  Writ. 

At  the  evening  meeting,  Dec.  19,  President  Grant, 
some  members  of  his  Cabinet,  and  some  Congressmen, 
were  present,  and  at  the  close  expressed  themselves 
as  well  pleased  with  the  services,  and  especially  with 
the  singing  of  Mr.  Sankey.  "  Mr.  Moody,"  said  Ex- 
Speaker  Blaine,  "  is  a  wonderful  man."  At  the  in- 
quiry-meeting that  evening,  Mr.  Moody  said,  "  It  was 
the  best  service  we  have  ever  had  in  America  or  in 
Europe :  it  was  perfectly  marvellous ;  it  went  beyond 
all  my  faith." 

"  These  are  golden  days  for  Philadelphia,"  said  Mr. 
Wannamaker  at  one  of  the  meetings  :  "  to-night  let  this 
vast  congregation  join  in  the  solemn  prayer  for  the 
great  and  glorious  work  that  is  now  progressing  amongst 
us."     And  then  the  hymn,  — 

"  Rejoice  and  be  glad  !  the  Redeemer  has  come,"  — 


MIDNIGHT   WATCH-MEETING.  149 

was  sung  so  touchingly  that  a  gentleman  on  the  plat- 
form rose  and  exclaimed,  "  I  have  frequently  heard  it 
said  that  Jesus  loves  a  musical  heart  more  than  a 
musical  voice.  If  that  be  so,  I  tell  you  that  here  we 
have  learned  how  both  can  be  united. " 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1875  a  midnight  watch  was 
held,  when  after  various  solemn  services  Mr.  Moody 
invited  the  whole  congregation  to  unite  in  silent 
prayer.  While  all  heads  were  bowed  in  supplication, 
Mr.  Sankey  sang  in  a  low  and  broken  voice,  "  Almost 
persuaded,"  then  Dr.  Newton  recited  the  Lord's  Prayer; 
"  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow,"  was 
sung ;  and  the  silence  of  profound  meditation  reigned 
until  the  clock  struck  the  knell  of  the  old  year.  Dr. 
Plumer  of  South  Carolina  then  pronounced  the  bene- 
diction; and,  after  Mr.  Moody  had  bid  them  all  a 
"  happy  New  Year,"  the  meeting  was  dissolved.  On 
the  6th  of  January,  1876,  he  tenderly  addressed  a  great 
assembly  on  the  subject  of  the  sabbath  school,  urging 
teachers  to  labor  personally  for  the  salvation  of  their 
pupils.  "  i  Now  let  us  go  to  work,'  said  I  one  day  to 
two  of  my  teachers,  ■  and  see  if  we  cannot  win  those 
three  young  ladies  in  the  school  to  Christ.  You  take 
Margaret,  you  take  Sarah,  and  I  will  take  Henrietta ; 
and  we  will  give  them  books,  write  to  them,  visit  them, 
and  pray  for  them,  work  personally  with  them.'  Within 
a  month  two  of  them  were  led  to  Christ ;  and  since  I 
have  been  in  Philadelphia  I  have  learned  that  Margaret 
has  been  converted." 


150 


LIFE   OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 


On  Fridays  he  spoke  to  the  inebriates ;  and  about  a 
hundred  and  fifty  of  them  were  reformed  during  his 
stay  in  the  city. 

On  the  14th  of  January,  George  H.  Stuart  wrote  to 
"  The  Tribune,''  "  The  last  service  of  the  eighth  week 
of  Moody  and  Sankey's  labors  in  this  city  was  attended 
this  evening  by  over  thirteen  thousand  persons,  filling 
the  great  depot  building  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Many 
thousands  were  turned  away,  unable  to  obtain  even 
standing-room.  The  interest  in  these  services  has 
from  the  first  steadily  increased,  and  the  labors  of  the 
evangelists  have  been  and  continue  to  be  the  all- 
absorbing  topic  of  conversation." 

The  regular  services  of  the  revival  were  brought  to 
a  close  on  the  16th  of  January,  when  the  throng  of 
worshippers  was  still  augmenting,  and  the  religious 
interest  deepening.  It  was  estimated  that  since  the 
work  began  on  the  14th  of  November,  the  total  attend- 
ance had  been  as  great  as  seven  hundred  thousand,  the 
number  of  converts  four  thousand,  and  the  expenses 
of  the  revival  were  about  thirty  thousand  dollars.  No 
orator  probably  ever  addressed  in  an  equal  space  of  time 
such  a  large  number  of  people.  The  immediate  effects 
were  grand ;  but  who  can  estimate  the  magnitude  of  the 
work  as  bearing  on  the  future  destiny  of  the  mighty 
throngs  that  heard  the  word  proclaimed  with  such  con- 
vincing power  ? 

Returning  to  Philadelphia  on  the  4th  of  February, 
the  evangelists  met  the  clergymen  and  the  converts  in 


THE  ORANGE-TREE.  151 

the  depot  building,  which  was  densely  crowded ;  and 
after  Mr.  Sankey  had  sung  with  unusual  tenderness 
Mrs.  Emily  S.  Oakey's  fine  hymn, — 

"  Sowing  the  seed  by  the  daylight  fair, 
Sowing  the  seed  by  the  noonday  glare,"  — 

Mr.  Moody  prayed  that  God  would  bless  the  work 
accomplished,  and  that  "on  the  golden  shore  of  the 
Beyond,  all  who  had  found  Christ  might  clasp  hands 
without  missing  the  face  of  one  lost  brother."  He  then 
addressed  some  earnest  and  affectionate  words  to  the 
converts,  taking  for  his  theme,  "  God  is  able  to  hold 
you."  In  the  course  of  his  remarks,  he  used  this  beau- 
tiful illustration :  u  Every  Christian's  life  should  be  like 
the  orange-tree.  In  Florida  I  saw  these  trees  growing 
in  dry  sand ;  and,  when  I  asked  how  they  lived,  I  was 
told  that  every  tree  had  a  tap-root  which  went  right 
down  until  it  struck  water.  We,  too,  must  find  a  fount 
so  pure  and  revivifying  that  no  surroundings  can  injure 
our  spiritual  growth."  "  Let  word  and  work,"  he  also 
counselled,  "  be  our  watchword.  If  you  neglect  either 
the  one  or  the  other,  }tou  cannot  be  successful.  But 
he  who  holds  the  word  in  one  hand,  and  works  with  the 
other,  must  advance  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  throne." 
In  closing  he  said  with  deep  emotion,  "I  do  not  like 
the  word  'farewell.'  I'll  bid  you  good-night,  and  by 
the  grace  of  God  I  want  to  meet  you  in  the  morning." 
Many  eyes  were  moistened  as  "  The  Sweet  By-and- 
By  "  was  sung ;  and  many  a  silent  prayer  ascended  to 


152 


LIFE   OF  DWIGriT   LYMAN  MOODY. 


the  mercy-seat  as  the  audience  left  the  building  in 
winch  so  many  brave  words  had  been  spoken,  and  so 
many  hearts  won  from  ways  of  error  to  the  love  of 

JcSUS. 


YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION  BUILDING,   PHILADELPHIA. 

In  one  of  the  meetings  Mr.  Moody  took  up  a  collec- 
tion for  the  building  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  which  amounted  to  about  a  hundred 
thousand  dollars.     He  himself  put  in  a  diamond  ring, 


VISIT   TO   PIIINCETON.  153 

which  came  to  him  enclosed  in  this  letter :  "  Dear  Mr. 
Moody,  —  Through  the  instrumentality  of  the  blessed 
meetings  now  closing,  my  darling  son,  a  prodigal,  and 
his  wife,  are  now  resting  in  a  Saviour's  love.  The 
accompanying  ring,  the  gift  of  one  dearly  loved,  and  so 
long  worn  it  seems  a  part  of  myself,  I  now  offer  to  my 
dear  Lord  and  Master  as  a  thank-offering  for  his  un- 
speakable blessing.  Do  with  it  as  the  Holy  Spirit 
directs."  The  ring  was  sold  for  a  thousand  dollars, 
and  assisted  in  paying  for  the  noble  structure  of  which 
a  picture  is  here  given. 

At  the  sale  of  the  furniture  of  the  depot  building, 
Mr.  Stuart  gave  fifty-five  dollars  for  the  chair  of  Mr. 
Moody,  and  Mr.  Field  the  same  for  that  of  Mr.  Sankey. 

The  same  day,  Feb.  5,  Mr.  Moody  addressed  the 
students  of  the  college  at  Princeton,  taking  for  his 
subject,  "  What  Christ  is  to  us."  In  the  course  of  his 
remarks  he  said,  "  Some  think  we  are  -  getting  wiser 
than  the  Bible  ;  but  I  always  say  to  those  people, 
'Bring  me  a  better  book  than  the  Bible,  and  I  will 
throw  it  away.'  You  might  as  well  say, '  What  splendid 
gas  we  have  now !  Let  us  build  all  our  houses  and 
churches  without  windows :  we  don't  want  the  sun  any 
more.'  "  The  students  were  deeply  impressed  by  the 
discourse. 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  address  on  "  There  is  no 
Difference,"  the  next  day,  fifteen  of  them  rose  for 
prayers ;  and  before  the  month  closed  about  one 
hundred  were  converted. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

EVANGELICAL  WORK  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY,  AUGUSTA,  GA.,  AND 
CHICAGO. 

The  Hippodrome.  —  Use  of  Means.  —  The  Meetings  opened.  —  Setting 
Christians  at  Work.  — Mr.  Moody's  Sermons.  — Extract  from  a  Let- 
ter.—The  Gospel. — Tramps. — A  Scotchman's  Idea  of  Christ. — 
Distinguished  Men  present.  —  Secular  Press.  —  Going  to  the  Stake. 

—  Dom  Pedro.  —  Young  Converts.  —  Convention.  —  Witty  Replies. 

—  Music.  —  Closing  Services.  —  Results. — An  Editor's  Opinion  of 
Mr.  Moody.  —  Augusta,   Ga. — Mr.  Moody's  New  Church  Edifice. 

—  Dedication.  —  He  visits  Northfield.  —  Springfield.  —  Work  in  Chi- 
cago commences.  —  The  Tabernacle.  —  Harmony  among  the  Clergy. 

—  Open  Service.  —  Ministers  affected.  —  Death  of  Samuel  H.  Moody. 

—  Sermon  on  the  Same.  —  Inquirers.  —  Interest  deepening.—  Faith- 
ful Sunday-School  Teacher.  —  Germans  interested. 

"  Let  him  know  that  he  which  converteth  the  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way 
Bhall  save  a  soul  from  death,  and  shall  hide  a  multitude  of  sins."  —St.  James. 

11  In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory, 

Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time : 
All  the  light  of  sacred  story 
Gathers  round  its  head  sublime." 

John  Bowring. 

The  two  evangelists  began  their  glorious  work  on 
Monday  evening,  Feb.  7,  1876,  in  the  city  of  New 
York.  The  Hippodrome,  a  huge  structure  on  Madison 
Avenue,  had  been  engaged  for  them,  and  divided  into 
compartments,  one  seating  six  thousand,  and  the  other 

154 


THE   HIPPODROME.  155 

about  four  thousand  people.  The  space  between  them 
had  been  separated  into  rooms  for  inquiry  and  other 
purposes.  As  many  as  eight  hundred  singers  and  six 
hundred  Christian  workers  had  been  trained  for  the 
revival.  Union  meetings  had  been  held,  in  which 
earnest  Christians  of  various  denominations  assembled 
to  pray  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon 
the  people.  The  ministers  were  in  living  sympathy 
with  the  movement.  Never,  perhaps,  before  had  prepa- 
rations on  so  grand  a  scale  been  made  in  any  city  for 
the  advent  of  an  evangelist.  Nor  were  the  friends  of 
religion  disappointed  in  their  expectations. 

"  Too  much  machinery  about  all  this,"  said  some 
who  doubted.  But  for  the  diversion  of  the  public  in 
that  same  building,  Mr.  Barnum  had  used  a  great  deal 
more.  Might  not  the  followers  of  Christ  employ  means 
to  lead  the  erring  to  him  ?  did  he  not  himself  use 
means  to  win  them  ?  and  should  not  the  means  be  in 
proportion  to  the  work  to  be  accomplished  ? 

The  audience  that  awaited  Mr.  Moody  and  his  com- 
peer was  the  largest  ever  convened  in  the  metropolis, 
while  thousands  pressed  in  vain  to  gain  admittance. 
As  the  speaker  came  upon  the  platform,  and  looked 
over  the  vast  throng,  he  said,  "  Let  us  all  bow  our 
heads  in  silent  prayer."  The  stirring  songs  "  Hold  the 
Fort,"  and  "What  shall  the  Harvest  be?"  soon  fol- 
lowed ;  and  then,  choosing  for  his  theme  the  power  of 
weak  things  to  confound  the  mighty,  he  spoke  as  one 
whose  lips  were  touched  with  fire  from  heaven;   and 


THE  MEETINGS   OPENED.  157 

moved,  as  no  other  living  man  could  do,  the  hearts  and 
consciences  of  the  vast  assembly.  Instead  of  lessening, 
his  incessant  toil  in  Philadelphia  seemed  to  have  re- 
doubled both  his  physical  and  mental  energy.  In  his 
style  of  delivery  he  had  much  improved,  and  never  had 
he  in  any  city  before  commenced  his  work  with  such  a 
powerful  sermon.  God  was  evidently  with  him.  All 
things  were  ready,  and  a  great  awakening  was  antici- 
pated. Mr.  Moody  closed  his  sermon  by  saying,  "  The 
mighty  spirit  of  Elijah  rests  upon  us  to-night.  Let 
us  go  to  our  homes,  and  cry  to  the  God  of  Elijah, 
4  Here  I  am,  God,  use  me,'  that  we  may  be  ready  for  all 
his  services."  Here  was  the  key-note  of  the  awaken- 
ing. 

On  Wednesday  evening,  Feb.  9,  the  Hippodrome 
was,  in  spite  of  the  rain,  densely  filled ;  and  Mr. 
Moody,  after  the  singing  of  "  Only  an  armor-bearer " 
and  other  hymns,  spoke  on  moral  courage  with  such 
point  and  impetuosity  as  made  a  profound  impression 
on  the  audience,  so  that  many  — 

"  Who  came  to  scoff,  remained  to  pray." 

On  Thursday,  Feb.  4,  five  distinct  meetings  were 
held  at  the  Hippodrome,  at  which  there  was  an  aggre- 
gate attendance  of  about  twenty  thousand  people. 
Many  were  moved  to  tears,  and  about  two  hundred 
inquirers  remained  to  converse  with  the  Christian 
workers.  Mr.  Moody's  theme  for  the  evening  was, 
"  To  every  man  his  work."     His  sermon  abounded  in 


158  LIFE  OF  DWIGIIT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

felicitous  illustrations,  and  riveted  the  attention  of  the 
audience  to  its  close. 

In  his  preaching  during  all  the  work,  his  chief  aim 
was,  to  convince  Christians  that  each  and  every  one  has 
a  personal  work  to  do  in  bringing  souls  to  Jesus. 
"  There  are  many,"  said  he,  "  that  are  willing  to  do 
great  things  for  the  Lord ;  but  few  are  willing  to  do 
little  things.  The  mighty  sermon  of  our  Lord  on 
regeneration  was  preached  to  one  man.  Many  are  will- 
ing to  preach  to  thousands,  but  are  not  willing  to  take 
their  seat  beside  one  soul,  and  lead  that  soul  to  Christ." 

It  is  the  habit  of  Mr.  Moody  to  write  out  a  sermon 
carefully,  and  then,  surcharging  his  mind  with  its 
spirit,  to  deliver  it  extempore,  varying  the  illustrations 
so  as  to  suit  the  character  of  his  hearers.  Most  of  his 
discourses  he  has  repeated,  it  may  be,  forty  or  fifty 
times :  yet  such  is  the  force  and  fervor  he  throws  into 
them,  such  is  the  magnetic  power  of  his  person,  that 
they  are  heard  over  and  over  again  with  unabated 
interest.  The  lively  anecdotes  and  touching  stories  he 
has  told  so  often  have  been  a  thousand  times  published 
and  circulated  through  and  through  Great  Britain  and 
America.  So  many  of  them  refer  to  his  own  life  and 
experience  that  his  biography  might  to  a  great  extent 
be  woven  out  of  them ;  yet  we  love  in  him  this  frank, 
Pauline  egotism,  revealing  as  it  does  the  honesty  of  his 
soul,  as  well  as  the  noble  ardor  which  inspires  him  to 
go  forward  in  his  glorious  work. 

"Mr.  Moody  must  have  great  executive   ability," 


1 


THE  GOSPEL.  159 

wrote  to  me  an  attendant  on  the  meetings  at  the  Hip- 
podrome, "  for  he  controls  his  audiences  seemingly 
without  any  effort ;  and  you  know  in  many  cases  there 
are  rough  men  and  boys,  and  women  too,  but  there  is 
never  any  disorder,  and  hardly  ever  any  inattention. 
He  is  entirely  devoted  to  his  work  :  he  thinks  rapidly, 
and  expresses  himself  as  rapidly  as  he  thinks.  In  the 
inquiry-meetings  he  is  never  at  a  loss  for  a  reply,  and 
that  a  good  one.  '  I  don't  think  I  have  a  soul,'  said  a 
lady  there  to  him  one  day,  '  any  more  than  a  dog.' 
— 4  Then  why,  madam,  did  you  come  to  me?  I  can't 
reason  with  a  dog,'  he  instantly  replied." 

The  second  week  of  the  revival  opened  with  the 
interest  still  increasing.  On  Sunday  afternoon,  Feb. 
13,  Mr.  Moody  preached  on  "  the  Gospel  "to  an  audi- 
ence of  about  six  thousand  women.  Such  a  congrega- 
tion had  perhaps  never  before  been  seen  in  America. 
The  novelty  of  the  spectacle  was  almost  as  great  when 
in  the  evening  he  preached  the  same  discourse  exclu- 
sively to  men.  "  I  have  spoken,"  he  said,  "  a  great  many 
times  in  this  city ;  but  I  believe  I  never  preached  the 
gospel  here  but  once.  That  was  twelve  or  fifteen  years 
ago,  down  in  the  Tombs.  ...  I  believe  I  was  converted 
years  before  I  knew  what  the  gospel  meant.  Now,  the 
word  *  gospel '  means  *  good  spell,'  or  in  other  words 
4  God's  spell.'  "  Referring  to  the  interest  of  Christ  in 
the  wandering,  he  said,  "  I  noticed  on  my  way  down 
this  morning  not  less  than  four  or  five  tramps.  They 
looked  weary  and  tired.     I  suppose  they  had  slept  on. 


1G0  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

the  sidewalk  last  night.  I  thought  I  would  like  to  have 
time  just  to  stop  and  tell  them  about  the  Son  of  God, 
and  how  Christ  loved  them." 

On  Friday,  Feb.  18,  the  noon  prayer-meeting  was 
attended  by  more  than  six  thousand  persons,  the  sub- 
ject discussed  being —  as  afterwards  on  this  day — in- 
temperance ;  and  in  the  evening  Mr.  Moody  preached 
his  great  sermon  on  "  What  is  Christ  to  us  ?  "  In  the 
course  of  his  remarks  he  said,  "  I  was  once  speaking  on 
this  theme  in  Europe,  and  said  to  a  Scotch  friend,  as  we 
were  going  home,  I  was  much  disappointed  that  I  did 
not  get  through  with  the  subject.  He  looked  at  me 
with  astonishment,  and  said,  4  What,  my  friend  !  did  ye 
expect  to  tell  what  Christ  is  in  half  an  hour  ?  Ye  need 
never  expect  to  tell  it  in  all  eternity :  ye  would  never 
get  through  with  it.' " 

In  the  audience  were  seen  sometimes  eminent  mer- 
chants, lawyers,  judges,  and  statesmen  of  the  city. 
Gov.  S.  J.  Tilden,  Cyrus  W.  Field,  and  Dr.  John  Lord 
have  been  attentive  listeners.  Mr.  Moody  said  he  had 
never  before  received  such  cordial  aid  and  sympathy 
from  the  ministers.  Among  those  actively  engaged 
with  him  were  Messrs.  Taylor,  Tyng,  Hall,  Chambers, 
Anderson,  Armitage,  Ormiston,  and  Rogers.  The 
latter  said  that  during  a  ministry  of  more  than  thirty 
years  he  had  never  witnessed  scenes  of  such  solemnity 
and  power. 

On  Sunday,  Feb.  20,  about  four  thousand  Christians 
were  present  at  the  morning  service ;  about  ten  thousand 


SECULAR   PRESS.  161 

women  listened  to  Mr.  Moody's  sermon  on  the  text, 
k'  Where  art  thou  ?  "  in  the  afternoon,  and  about  the 
same  number  of  men  in  the  evening.  The  Hippodrome 
continued  to  be  crowded  through  the  week ;  and  in 
the  streets,  the  offices  and  homes  throughout  the  city, 
such  words  as  "Have  you  heard  Moody?"  "Does  he 
not  send  solid  shot  into  his  congregation  ?  "  "  Did  not 
Sankey  sing  most  touchingiy  ?  "  "  Were  }~ou  ever  at 
such  grand,  good  meetings  ?  "  continually  met  the  ear. 
The  secular  papers  spread  abroad  the  truths  spoken 
by  the  evangelists ;  and  thousands  of  ministers  from  a 
distance,  catching  the  inspiration  of  the  great  meetings 
at  the  Hippodrome,  carried  something  of  the  flame  back 
to  their  churches.  Never  since  the  apostolic  times  had 
the  voices  of  two  unlettered  men  so  moved  the  world. 

In  his  address  on  "  Grace,"  Feb.  25,  the  speaker  gave 
this  pointed  illustration:  "'Moody,'  said  a  man  to  me 
some  time  ago,  4  have  you  got  grace  to  go  to  the  stake 
as  a  martyr  ?  '  —  '  No  !  what  do  I  want  to  go  to  the  stake 
for  ?  '  Another  said  to  me, 4  Moody,  if  God  should  take 
your  son,  have  you  grace  to  bear  it  ? '  — '  What,'  said  I, 
4  do  I  want  grace  for  ?  If  God  should  call  me  to  part 
with  my  boy,  he  would  give  me  strength  to  bear  it.' 
4  As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be.'  " 

Thus  these  two  remarkable  men  proceeded  day  after 
day  and  evening  after  evening,  Mr.  Sankey  with  his 
melodeon,  and  Mr.  Moody  with  his  Bible,  singing  and 
preaching  to  undiminished  audiences  in  the  centre  of 
New  York  City,  quickening  the  hearts  of  the  clergy,  and 


162 


LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 


turning  many  people  to  righteousness.  Mr.  Moody's 
sermons  —  among  which  those  on  "  The  Divine  Compas- 
sion," "  The  Blood,"  "  Heaven  and  its  Treasures," 
"  Men's  Excuses,"  "  God's  Love,"  "  How  to  study  the 
Bible,"  M  Work  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  "  Trust,"  awak- 
ened great  attention  —  were  always  direct,  pointed, 
Biblical,  catholic,  and  hopeful.  They  were  all  enriched 
with  apt  scriptural  citations,  touching  anecdotes,  perti- 
nent illustrations,  and  epigrammatic  points,  that  went 
directly  to  the  heart. 

In  one  of  his  addresses  on  the  Good  Samaritan  he  said, 
"  A  great  many  people  ask  us,  c  What  are  you  going  to 
do  with  these  young  converts  when  you  get  them? 
where  will  you  put  them,  into  what  church,  —  Method- 
ist, Baptist,  Episcopal?'  Well,  we  don't  know;  we 
have  not  thought  of  that :  we  are  trying  to  get  them 
out  of  the  ditch  first." 

The  emperor  Dom  Pedro  was  present  when  Mr. 
Moody  preached  his  thrilling  sermon  on  "  What  shall  I 
do  with  Jesus  which  is  called  Christ?"  and  paid  the 
strictest  attention,  bowing  his  head  in  assent  to  the 
remark,  "  Even  a  great  emperor  cannot  save  his  soul, 
with  all  his  wealth  and  power,  unless  he  bows  himself 
at  Christ's  feet,  and  accepts  him." 

On  the  20th  and  30th  of  March  a  revival  convention 
was  held  in  the  Hippodrome,  at  which  there  were  3,350 
pastoral  and  lay  delegates. 

In  reply  to  the  many  questions  proposed  to  him,  Mr. 
Moody  evinced  good  common  sense  with  not  a  little 


WITTY  REPLIES.  163 

native  wit.  In  respect  to  prayer-meetings  he  said, 
"  They  ought  to  be  short.  I  find  a  great  many  are 
killed  because  they  are  too  long.  The  minister  speaks 
Rye  minutes ;  and  a  minister's  five  minutes  is  always 
ten,  and  his  ten  minutes  is  always  twenty.  The  result 
is,  you  preach  everybody  into  the  spirit  and  then  out 
of  it  before  the  meeting  is  over." 

To  the  question,  "  Why  was  the  Lord  not  able  to  do 
any  thing  at  Nazareth?"  his  quick  reply  was,  "On 
account  of  their  unbelief ;  but  that  was  the  world,  not 
the  church." 

On  being  asked  if  he  would  encourage  women  preach- 
ing in  the  pulpit,  he  replied,  "  That  is  a  complicated 
point,  and  we  will  leave  it.  I  don't  care  about  my  wife 
going  around  and  preaching." 

To  the  question,  "  Would  you  stop  a  man's  prayer 
by  a  bell  ? "  he  answered,  "  If  a  man's  prayer  don't 
seem  to  go  higher  than  his  head,  I  should  not  hesitate 
to  ring  him  down." 

To  one  asking  him,  "  What  is  the  best  book  for  in- 
quirers ?  "  he  said,  "  Well,  the  book  written  by  John  is 
about  the  best  I  have  ever  seen." 

"  Suppose  none  of  the  congregation  understand 
music  ?  "  asked  another  :  "  how  are  you  going  to  have 
it  ?  "  —  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  don't  understand  music,  but 
I  can  sing,  as  well  as  Mr.  Sankey.  I  can  sing  from  my 
heart.  The  fact  is,  people  have  gone  to  sleep.  Larks 
never  sing  in  their  nests :  it  is  when  they  get  out.  A 
little  boy  who  had  been  converted  was  constantly  sing- 


164  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

ing ;  while  his  papa  was  reading  the  paper  one  day,  he 
came  up  to  him,  and  said,  i  Papa,  you  are  a  Christian, 
but  you  never  sing.'  Says  the  father,  'I  have  got  es- 
tablished.' Not  long  after,  they  went  out  to  drive,  but 
the  horse  would  not  go.  The  father  got  vexed,  and 
said  ( I  wonder  what  ails  him.'  — 4 1  think,'  said  the 
boy,  '  he  has  got  established.'  " 

To  the  question,  "  How  can  you  make  sinners  feel 
their  sinfulness  ?  "  he  answered,  "  That  is  God's  work : 
you  can't  do  it." 

During  the  meeting  of  the  convention,  Mr.  Sankey 

sung  with   great   tenderness   Miss   Fanny  J.  Crosby's 

sweet  hymn,  — 

"  Rescue  the  perishing, 

Care  for  the  dying,  "  — 

Saying  as  he  came  to  the  third  stanza,  that  it  contained 
one  of  the  most  blessed  truths  referred  to  by  the  speak- 
ers:  — 

1 1  Down  in  the  human  heart, 

Crushed  by  the  tempter, 
Feelings  lie  buried  that  grace  can  restore: 

Touched  by  a  loving  heart, 

Wakened  by  kindness, 
Chords  that  were  broken  will  vibrate  once  more." 

The  services  of  this  great  revival  in  New  York, 
during  which  so  many  hearts  had  been  rescued  from 
perishing,  so  many  believers  brought  nearer  to  God, 
were  closed  on  Wednesday  evening,  April  19,  1876, 
when  Mr.  Moody  during  his  affectionate  address  to  the 


CLOSING  SERVICES.  165 

Christian  workers  made  this  fine  comparison  :  "  You 
say  you  are  in  the  world.  Well,  you  may  be  in  the 
world  but  not  of  it,  just  as  a  ship  is  in  the  water  but 
not  of  it.  The  moment  the  water  begins  to  get  into 
the  ship,  it  sinks.  You  are  in  the  world,  but  don't  let 
the  world  be  in  you."  In  his  address  to  the  converts, 
of  whom  about  thirty-five  hundred  were  present,  he 
urged  every  one  to  serve  Christ,  sa}Ting,  "  It  is  not  too 
much  to  expect  that  each  one  of  you  should  bring 
twelve  more  to  him.  One  young  man  came  to  me,  and 
said  he  was  converted  on  the  3d  of  February  ;  he  had  a 
list  of  fifty-nine  persons,  with  the  residence  of  each, 
whom  he  had  since  that  time  been  instrumental  in 
leading  to  Christ.  Now,  if  he  has  led  fifty-nine  to  the 
Saviour,  each  of  you  ought  to  be  able  to  reach  some. 
Let  each  of  you  go  to  work,  for  that  is  the  way  to  grow 
in  strength."  As  he  bade  the  audience  good-night  he 
said,  "  We  Jbave  received  nothing  but  kindness  since 
we  came  here,  and  the  Lord  has  abundantly  blessed  our 
work.  May  God  bless  all  the  policemen,  the  reporters, 
the  choir,  the  ushers,  and  all  who  have  aided  the  Lord's 
cause  since  we  came  here  ten  weeks  ago !  May  he 
bless  all  the  ministers  who  have  worked  so  nobly  with 
us  for  Christ,  and  may  the  good  work  go  on  when  we 
are  far  away  !  "  Many  were  bathed  in  tears,  and  the 
benediction  was  pronounced  by  Dr.  J.  Cotton  Smith. 

It  was  estimated  that  as  many  as  a  million  and  a 
half  of  people  had  attended  the  various  meetings  at 
the  Hippodrome,  of  whom  as  many  as  ten  thousand  dif- 


166  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 


ferent  persons  had  been  present  at  the  meetings  for 
inquiry.  Large  accessions  were  subsequently  made  to 
many  of  the  churches;  but  what  the  grand  harvest 
will  be,  what  tongue  can  tell  ? 

In  taking  leave  of  him,  one  of  the  leading  New  York 
journals  said,  "  Make  him  the  best-read  preacher  in 
the  world,  and  he  would  instantly  lose  half  his  power. 
Put  him  through  a  systematic  training  in  systematic 
theology,  and  you  fasten  big  logs  of  fuel  to  the  driving- 
wheels  of  his  engine.  .  .  .  We  shall  not  soon  forget 
his  incomparable  frankness,  his  broad  undenomination- 
alism,  his  sledge-hammer  gestures,  his  profuse  diction 
which  stops  neither  for  colons  nor  commas,  his  trite- 
ness which  never  becomes  conventional,  his  naturalness 
which  never  whines,  his  abhorrence  of  Phariseeism 
and  of  ecclesiastical  Machiavelism,  his  mastery  of  his 
subject,  his  glorious  self-confidence,  his  blameless  life, 
and  his  unswerving  fealty  to  his  conscience  and  to  his 
work." 

At  the  conclusion  of  their  ministry  at  New  York, 
Mr.  Sankey  repaired  to  his  home  in  New  Castle,  Penn. ; 
while  Mr.  Moody,  without  taking  rest,  proceeded  to 
Augusta,  Ga.,  where  he  held,  April  25,  in  the  grove  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  a  meeting  at  which  about 
six  thousand  persons,  white  and  colored,  were  pres- 
ent. The  Southerners  were  delighted  with  his  afflu- 
ence of  illustration,  and  profoundly  moved  by  his 
pathetic  appeals.  While  referring  to  the  healing  of 
the   woman  by  touching   the  Lord's  garment,  in  his 


NEW   CHURCH  EDIFICE.  167 

sermon  of  the  next  day,  he  said,  "Jesus  had  more 
medicine  in  the  hem  of  his  garment  than  all  the 
apothecaries  in  the  land." 

On  Sunday,  April  30,  as  many  as  fifty,  moved  by  his 
magnetic  power,  rose  up  for  prayers. 

He  left  Augusta  on  the  9th  of  May,  highly  gratified 
with  the  kindness  he  had  received,  but  more  especially 
with  having  some  good  evidence  that  through  his 
preaching  many  hearts  were  led  to  rejoice  in  the 
Redeemer. 

Returning  by  the  way  of  St.  Louis,  where  he  held 
several  meetings  of  great  interest,  he  became,  on  reach- 
ing Chicago,  the  guest  of  his  benefactor  John  V. 
Farwell. 

For  the  better  accommodation  of  his  church  and 
society,  Mr.  Moody,  prior  to  his  visit  to  England  in 
1873,  planned  and  commenced  an  edifice  on  the  corner 
of  Chicago  Avenue  and  La  Salle  Street ;  but,  owing  to 
the  depression  in  business,  it  was  not  completed  till  the 
summer  of  1876.  It  is  built  of  brick  and  stone  in  the 
Gothic  style,  and  will  seat  about  two  thousand  people. 
The  whole  cost  of  the  structure,  and  the  land  on  which 
it  stands,  was  about  eighty -nine  thousand  dollars, 
towards  which  sum  about  five  hundred  thousand 
sabbath-school  children  contributed  their  mite.  The 
building  was  opened  for  service  in  June ;  but  Mr. 
Moody  then  said  that  it  should  not  be  dedicated  until 
it  was  entirely  paid  for.  It  was  a  bad  thing  to  be  in 
debt.     He  could  not  bear  to  look  one  in  the  face  if  he 


168 


LIFE  OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 


owed  him  any  thing.  A  collection  was  then  taken 
which  amounted  to  thirteen  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
whole  sum  required  to  pay  for  the  church  was  soon 
afterwards  obtained.  The  edifice  was  dedicated  on 
the  16th  of  July,  the  sermon  on  the  occasion  being 
preached  by  Dr.  James  H.  Brooks  of  St.  Louis.  In 
the  completion  and  dedication  of  his  church,  Mr. 
Moody  had  a  long-cherished  desire  gratified  ;  and  he 
then  soon  repaired  to  his  quiet  home  in  the  valley  of 
the  Connecticut  River,  for  a  little  study  and  repose. 
But  rest  he  could  not  find  ;  for  the  desire  to  hear  him 
was  so  intense,  and  solicitations  for  his  services  in  the 
neighboring  towns  came  in  to  him  so  urgently,  as  to 
admit  of  no  refusal.  On  Tuesday,  Aug.  15,  he 
preached  on  revivals,  to  as  many  as  a  thousand  people 
in  the  Congregational  church  in  Greenfield ;  the  next 
day  he  spoke  in  Northfield,  and  on  Sunday  following, 
again  to  a  crowded  house  in  Greenfield.  On  the  22d 
he  delivered  his  great  sermon  on  "  To  Every  One  his 
Work,"  before  an  audience  of  above  three  thousand 
people  in  the  City  Hall  at  Springfield.  He  was  to  have 
spoken  at  half-past  seven,  p.m.,  in  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church.  At  four,  p.m.,  it  was  packed  with 
people  ;  and  when  it  was  announced  three  hours  later, 
that  the  services  would  be  held  in  the  hall,  well- 
dressed  women  leaped  from  the  windows  of  the  church 
in  order  to  secure  seats  in  season.  He  also,  with  Mr. 
P.  P.  Bliss,  held  services  on  the  10th  of  September  in 
Brattleboro',  Vt. 


WORK  IN  CHICAGO   COMMENCES.  169 

In  the  mean  time  earnest  Christian  workers  of  va- 
rious denominations  were  engaged  in  the  construction 
of  a  tabernacle  with  seats  for  eight  thousand  persons, 
and  standing-room  for  about  two  thousand  more,  in  the 
business  centre  of  Chicago,  for  the  especial  use  of  the 
evangelists.  The  structure,  which  was  substantially 
built,  costing  about  twenty  thousand  dollars,  was  of 
two  stories,  with  galleries  on  three  sides,  and  a  plat- 
form in  the  rear  of  the  speaker's  stand,  intended  for 
the  accommodation  of  about  three  hundred  singers. 
Dining  the  construction  of  this  commodious  edifice, 
meetings  were  frequently  held  in  the  different  churches 
of  the  city  for  the  purpose  of  invoking  the  presence  and 
Spirit  of  God  upon  the  place,  and  of  more  fully  pre- 
paring the  hearts  of  Christians  for  carrying  on  the 
evangelical  movement.  A  delightful  spirit  of  harmony 
prevailed  amongst  the  ministers,  who  spoke  and  labored 
as  with  one  accord  for  the  advancement  of  the  work. 

Chicago  was  the  scene  of  Mr.  Moody's  early  evangeli- 
cal success  ;  in  that  city  his  character  as  an  aggressive 
herald  of  the  cross  had  been  established.  The  clergy 
had  in  him  full  confidence  ;  the  churches  and  the  people 
needed  the  burning  words  of  an  accredited  evangel  to 
awaken  them  from  slumber  to  the  realities  of  religion 
and  of  the  world  to  come.  But  a  prophet  has  not 
honor  at  home.  Men  love  novelty.  The  manner, 
voice,  ideas,  and  methods  of  Mr.  Moody  were  well 
known  in  the  great  city  of  the  West.  Here  he  had 
been   prominently   identified   with    the    work    of    the 


: 


170 


LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 


Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  into  which  he  had 
infused  a  new  energy;  the  erection  of  the  beautiful  hall 
of  the  Association  being  chiefly  due  to  his  labors.  But 
would  the  people  come  to  hear  him  ?  Would  the  ex- 
pectations of  his  friends  who  had  made  such  perfect 
preparations  for  the  accommodation  of  the  multitude 

be  met  ?  The  anxiety  on  the 
part  of  Christians  was  intense, 
yet  prayer  for  the  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  continu- 
ally ascended  to  the  throne  of 
mercy. 

Mr.  Moody  began  his  evan- 
gelical labors  at  the  new  tab- 


ernacle in  Chicago  at  eight 
o'clock  on  Sunday  morning, 
Oct.  1,  1876  ;  and  the  sea  of 
upturned  faces  which  then 
greeted  him  at  once  allayed 
the  fears  of  Christians  in 
respect  to  the  result.  On 
the  platform,  supporting  Mr. 
Moody,  were  many  clergymen  of  different  denomina- 
tions, sitting  side  by  side.  The  choir  of  three  hun- 
dred singers,  led  by  Mr.  Stebbins,  opened  the  services 
by  singing  from  leaflets,  the  Rev.  W.  P.  Mackey's 
spirited  hymn, — 

"  We  praise  thee,  0  God!  for  the  Son  of  thy  love, 
For  Jesus  who  died,  and  is  now  gone  above,"  — 


OPENING   SERVICE.  171 

after  which  Mr.  Moody  said,  "  If  we  are  going  to  have  a 
blessing  in  the  North-west,  it  must  be  from  the  throne 
of  God." 

From  the  "  Gospel  Hymns,"  Mr.  Sankey  sang  several 
songs,  as,  — 

11  Only  an  armor-bearer,  proudly  I  stand, 
Waiting  to  follow  at  the  King's  command,"  — 

with  a  voice  of  winning  sympathy ;  when  the  great 
evangelist  rose,  and  in  his  impetuous  and  effective  style, 
unlike  that  of  any  other  living  speaker,  delivered  his 
sermon  on  "  Rolling  away  the  Stone  from  the  Door." 
The  three  great  stones  to  be  rolled  away  before  the 
revival  would  succeed  were  unbelief,  prejudice,  and  a 
sectarian  spirit.  "  If  I  thought  this  morning,"  said  he 
under  the  last  topic,  "  that  I  had  a  drop  of  sectarian 
blood  in  my  veins,  I  would  open  them  and  let  it  out 
before  dinner.  On  the  great  day  of  Pentecost  there 
was  but  one  mind  and  one  spirit." 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Moody  preached 
his  sermon  on  the  "  Reward  of  the  Faithful,"  to  an  audi- 
ence of  nine  thousand  people,  every  available  spot  in 
the  Tabernacle  being  occupied.  An  immense  overflow- 
meeting  was  also  held  in  Farwell  Hall.  As  Mr.  Moody 
went  on  with  his  discourse  he  specified  four  classes  —  the 
ministers,  the  sabbath-school  teachers,  the  young  men, 
and  the  mothers  —  from  whom  he  desired  assistance  in 
the  revival.  While  speaking  of  the  first  class,  he 
touchingly  said,  "  There  was  one  thing  that  pleased  me 


DEATH  OF   SAMUEL  II.   MOODY.  173 

this  morning,  and  that  was  the  eight  thousand  people 
who  came  to  this  building,  and  the  large  number  of 
ministers  who  seized  me  by  the  hand  with  the  tears 
trickling  down  their  cheeks,  and  who  said  to  me,  c  God 
bless  you ! '     It  gave  me  a  light  heart." 

Others  had  happy  hearts  that  day ;  for  some  were 
turned  to  Jesus,  and  Christian  workers  felt  assured  a 
movement  so  auspiciously  inaugurated  would  eventuate 
in  success.  The  field  was  white  for  the  harvest ;  the 
reapers  had  put  in  the  sickle  ;  and  the  aim  of  Mr. 
Moody's  sermons,  as  in  other  places,  for  the  first  week 
or  two,  was  to  urge  them  to  lay  their  hands  with  vigor 
to  the  work. 

On  Friday,  Oct.  G,  the  evangelist  was  startled  by  the 
intelligence  that  his  youngest  brother,  Samuel  Holton 
Moody,  had  died  at  his  home  in  Northfield  in  a  fit ;  and, 
leaving  his  work  so  well  begun,  he  came  home  immedi- 
ately to  weep  with  the  afflicted  family  over  the  remains 
of  the  loved  one  passed  away.  He  was  buried  on 
Tuesday,  Oct.  10 ;  and  fifty  young  men  whom  he  had 
been  instrumental  in  converting  followed  him  to  the 
grave. 

In  a  sermon  preached  on  his  return  to  Chicago,  Mr. 
Moody  said,  "  My  call  to  mourning  was  the  deepest 
I  have  ever  known ;  for  next  perhaps  to  my  wife,  my 
two  children,  and  my  aged  mother,  I  loved  none  so 
dearly  as  this  youngest  brother." 

The  first  night  on  which  rooms  were  opened  for  in- 
quirers, a  large  number,  especially  of  the  neglected  and 


174  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

the  poor,  were  present ;  and  when  Mr.  Moody,  Nov.  6, 
met  the  young  converts  at  Farwell  Hall,  he  had  the 
pleasure  of  addressing  at  least  three  hundred  who  had 
just  set  out  to  run  the  Christian  race.  Every  day  the 
tone  of  religious  feeling  was  deepening  in  the  city.  Men 
and  women  of  every  class  were  seeking  for  salvation, 
and  crowding  to  hear  the  living  word  of  God  as  sung 
or  spoken  by  the  revivalists.  The  noon  prayer-meet- 
ings at  Farwell  Hall  were  well  attended,  meetings  for 
the  intemperate  were  crowded,  and  the  meetings  at 
the  Tabernacle,  especially  on  Sunday  evening,  were 
thronged  with  people  who  under  the  impassioned  elo- 
quence of  Mr.  Moody  were  swayed  just  as  the  sea  by 
the  deep  ground-swell. 

Tn  his  service  on  Sunday  morning,  Nov.  2,  Mr. 
Moody  said,  — 

"  I  will  tell  you  how  I  got  my  first  impulse  in  this 
personal  work  for  souls.  I  hadn't  got  hold  of  the  idea ; 
there  was  no  one  to  teach  me,  and  I  was  going  on  with 
the  general  work  of  my  school  in  1860,  when  a  man 
who  was  one  of  my  Sunday-school  teachers  came  into 
my  place  of  business  one  day,  looking  very  ill.  I  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter,_and  he  replied,  '  I  have  been 
bleeding  at  the  lungs,  and  the  doctors  have  given  me 
up  to  die.' 

"  4  But  you  are  not  afraid  to  die,  are  you  ?  ' 
"  '  No,  I  think  not,'  he  answered  ;   'but  there  is  my 
class,  —  I  must  leave  it,  and  there  is  not  one  of  them 
converted.' 


FAITHFUL  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEACHER.  175 

"  It  was  a  class  of  young  girls  that  gave  me  more 
trouble  than  any  other  class  in  the  whole  school ;  and 
he  had  hard  work  to  get  along  with  them.  '  Well,' 
said  I,  '  can't  you  go  and  call  on  them  before  you  go 
away  ?  ' 

"  4  No,'  he  said  :  he  was  too  weak  to  walk. 

"  So  I  went  and  got  a  carriage,  and  took  him  round 
to  see  those  careless  scholars  ;  and  he  pleaded  with 
them  and  prayed  with  them,  one  by  one,  to  give  their 
hearts  to  Christ ;  he  spent  ten  days  at  this  work,  and 
every  one  of  that  class  was  saved.  The  night  before 
he  left  the  cit}r  for  his  home  at  the  East,  where  he  was 
going  to  see  his  mother  and  to  die,  we  got  the  teacher 
and  the  class  together  ;  and  such  a  meeting  I  never  saw 
on  earth.  He  prayed  and  I  prayed ;  and  then  the 
scholars,  of  their  own  accord,  without  my  asking  them, 
—  I  didn't  know  as  they  could  pray,  —  prayed  for  their 
teacher,  and  for  themselves  that  they  might  all  be  kept 
in  the  way  of  life,  and  by  and  by  all  meet  again  in 
heaven. 

"  I  have  thanked  God  a  thousand  times  for  those  ten 
clays  of  personal  work." 

An  immense  audience  listened  to  Mr.  Moody  at  the 
Tabernacle  in  the  afternoon  as  well  as  evening.  As 
many  as  a  thousand  persons  presented  themselves  as 
seekers  of  salvation  during  the  day.  In  the  interim 
between  the  usual  services,  Mr.  Moody  preached  a 
brief  sermon  to  the  Germans  in  Farwell  Hall.     After 


176 


LIFE   OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 


Mr.  Sankey  had  sung  to  them  "  Where  are  the  Nine?" 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Hagcr  rose  and  said,  "  The  secret  of  the 
great  success  of  these  evangelists  may  be  found  in 
three  little  words,  —  '  God,  Virtue,  Immortality.'  " 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

CONTINUATION  OF  THE  REVIVAL  IN  CHICAGO.  —  METHODS  AND 
RESULTS. -AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  WORK,  BY  THE  REV.  GEORGE 
F.  PENTECOST. 

Meeting  in  Farwell  Hall.  —A  Conversion.  —Singular  Notions  in  Respect 
to  Mr.  Moody.  —  A  Convention.  —  Great  Meetings.  —  Letter  from  a 
Prisoner.  — A  Pledge.  — An  Incident.  — Spread  of  the  Revival.  —  An 
Appeal  to  the  Churches.  —  Christmas.  —  Death  of  Mr.  Bliss  and  Wif  e. 

—  Influence  of  the  Work.  —  An  Account  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pentecost.  — 
Great  Audiences.  —  Reports  from  Churches.  —  Union  of  Christians. 

—  Plan  in  the  Work.  —  Sectarian  Walls  demolished.  —  Christians 
awakened.  —  Assurance.  —  Worldliness.  —  An  Incident.  —  Dumb 
Christians.  —  Backsliders  restored.  —  Effect  on  the  Clergy.  —  Mr. 
Moody's  Belief. —The  Intemperate. — The  Inquiry-Room. — Talk 
with  a  Sceptic.  —  Converts. 

"  Thy  statutes  have  been  ray  songs  in  the  house  of  my  pilgrimage."  — David. 

"Strong  in  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
And  in  his  mighty  power, 
"Who  in  the  strength  of  Jesus  trusts 
Is  more  than  conqueror." — Charles  Wesley. 

A  most  impressive  meeting  was  held  in  Farwell  Hall, 
Thursday,  Nov.  16,  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  It  was  continued  on  Friday,  and  drew  from  Mr. 
Moody  the  remark  that  it  was  the  most  profitable  one 
he  had  ever  held  in  Chicago.  The  songs  of  Mr.  Sankey 
in  these  assemblies  seemed  to  soften  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  and  prepare  them  for  the  reception  of  the  seeds 

177 


178  LIFE  OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

of  truth  as  sown  by  Mr.  Moody.  A  gentleman  from 
Elgin,  who  had  been  awakened  by  reading  the  reports 
of  the  revival  in  "  The  Chicago  Tribune  "  came  up  to 
the  meeting  to-day,  and  on  being  asked  by  Dr.  Thomp- 
son,— 

"  Are  you  willing  to  confess  Christ  to  your  friends?  " 
replied,  — 

"  Yes,  I  am." 

"  Will  you  kneel  down  here,  and  promise  it  to  God  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

The  two  then  kneeling  joined  in  prayer,  and  rose 
rejoicing  in  the  Lord.  This  is  but  one  instance  among 
many  like  it  constantly  occurring.  God  was  there  in 
the  midst  of  them,  speaking  in  a  still  small  voice  to 
thousands.  Christian  women  organized  themselves  into 
a  society  in  aid  of  the  revival,  and  visited  those  parts 
of  the  city  out  of  the  usual  line  of  evangelical  effort. 
They  were  not  a  little  surprised  to  find  some  who  had 
never  heard  of  the  revival  meetings. 

"  What,"  said  these  people,  "  is  Mr.  Moody  a  star 
actor  ?  "  "  Do  they  have  dancing  at  the  Tabernacle  ?  " 
But  many  were  induced  to  go  and  see  for  themselves ; 
and  some  were  led  by  the  sweet  influences  of  the  house 
of  prayer  and  praise  up  to  a  better  life. 

At  a  grand  meeting  for  the  business  men  of  the  city, 
many  rose  and  testified  to  the  good  hope  they  had 
obtained  of  pardon  and  adoption. 

On  the  21st  inst.,  a  great  Christian  convention  was 
held,  when  about  twenty-five  hundred  clerical  and  lay 


A   CONVENTION.  179 

delegates  from  the  churches  in  the  North-west  were 
present.  The  meetings,  conducted  as  in  Philadelphia 
and  New  York,  were  characterized  by  fervor  and  so- 
lemnity. Mr.  Moody  illustrated  what  he  considered  the 
best  method  of  carrying  on  evangelization  by  referring 
to  the  work  as  it  was  then  proceeding  in  Chicago.  At 
the  close  of  the  convention,  Nov.  24,  a  large  number  of 
delegates  entered  into  a  covenant  to  pray  for  the  special 
presence  of  the  Spirit  on  their  respective  fields  of  labor. 

On  Thanksgiving  Day,  Nov.  30,  Mr.  Moody  gave  a 
dinner  to  the  reformed  inebriates,  in  his  own  church  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  where  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  partook  of  the  feast. 

An  old  Scotch  woman  once  kept  the  noon  prayer- 
meeting  alive  in  Chicago,  by  performing  all  the  exer- 
cises by  herself  and  to  herself.  The  next  day  Messrs. 
Moody,  Farwell,  and  Jacobs  came  to  her  rescue  ;  and 
the  noon  prayer-meeting  became  an  altar  where  the 
sacred  fire  burned  most  steadily  in  that  city.  But  so 
wonderfully  had  religious  interest  deepened,  that  on 
Friday,  Dec.  8,  as  many  as  seven  thousand  were  present 
at  that  meeting,  and  the  most  reverent  attention  was 
given  to  the  solemn  services.  In  the  afternoon  Mr. 
Moody  continued  his  Bible-readings  ;  and  in  the  even- 
ing, though  a  storm  was  raging,  had  as  many  as  four 
thousand  at  the  Tabernacle,  to  hear  his  sermon  on  the 
uRich  Man  "spoken  of  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Luke. 

In  his  effective  sermon  to  young  men,  on  "  Your  sin 
will  find  you  out,"  at  the  Tabernacle,  Dec.  13,  Mr. 
Moody  said,  — 


180  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

"  A  man  was  cursing  me  on  the  street  to-day  for 
sending  a  poor  fellow  back  to  the  penitentiary  in  Ohio, 
to  meet  the  just  punishment  of  his  theft  and  his  per- 
jury ;  but,  if  he  had  not  done  that  thing,  he  never  could 
have  stood  before  God  in  judgment.  He  must  confess 
his  sin ;  and,  though  it  meant  three  years  in  prison, 
still  he  must  reap  what  he  had  sown.  I  have  received 
a  letter  from  that  man,  and  he  says  that  he  is  a  happy 
man  in  spite  of  his  prospect  of  a  prison.  God  is  with 
him,  and  is  helping  him  bear  his  punishment,  now  that 
he  has  confessed  and  given  his  heart  to  Christ." 

At  the  Friday  noon  prayer-meeting  on  the  15th,  the 
exercises  were  opened  by  the  singing  of  Horatius 
Bonar's  familiar  hymn,  — 

"  What  a  friend  we  have  in  Jesus, 
All  our  sins  and  griefs  to  bear ! 
What  a  privilege  to  carry 
Every  thing  to  God  in  prayer!  M 

After  which  Mr.  Moody  spoke  to  about  seven  thousand 
people  on  temperance,  who,  rising  at  the  conclusion  of 
his  address,  pledged  themselves  to  abstain  from  the  use 
of  wine  and  other  intoxicating  beverages  at  their  recep- 
tions on  New  Year's  Day.  During  his  address  Mr. 
Moody  related  the  following  affecting  incident  as  an 
illustration  of  God's  readiness  to  answer  prayer:  Six 
weeks  ago  the  speaker  had  read  a  letter  from  parents 
in  Scotland,  begging  him  to  find  their  wandering  boy 
Willie.     For  six  weeks  Mr.  Sawyer,  who  has  charge  of 


SPREAD  OF  THE  REVIVAL.  181 

the  temperance  work,  sought  in  vain  to  find  the  boy ; 
but  a  week  ago  last  Friday  a  young  man  came  up  to 
Mr.  Sawyer  accidentally,  and  addressed  him. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  said  Mr.  Sawyer. 

"Willie ,"  he  replied. 

"  Is  it,  indeed  ?  I  have  been  seeking  for  you  the  last 
six  weeks." 

"  How  can  that  be  ?  "  answered  Willie.  "  You  do 
not  know  me." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Sawyer.  "  We  have  a  letter  telling 
of  your  mother's  love  and  prayers  for  you." 

"That,"  said  Mr.  Moody,  "broke  his  heart;  and  on 
Friday  he  stood  up  and  told  a  story  that  melted  the 
whole  audience  to  tears.  Years  ago  he  married  a  beau- 
tiful girl,  a  minister's  daughter.  Already  he  had  begun 
his  downward  course.  His  wife,  who  had  been  his 
guardian  angel,  soon  died.  They  had  a  little  girl.  He 
left  her,  and  became  a  homeless  wanderer.  When 
about  to  start  for  Australia,  his  little  girl,  kissing  him 
good-by,  said,  '  You  will  not  be  gone  long,  papa.'  He 
had  not  seen  her  since.  He  had  gone  the  world  around, 
—  a  very  prodigal,  full  of  sin  and  shame.  But  now 
prayer  had  been  answered ;  God  had  brought  the  lost 
one  home."  "  Strong  men,"  says  The  Interior,  fairly 
sobbed,  and  the  whole  audience  was  in  tears.  Mr. 
Moody,  with  a  voice  broken  with  sobs,  gave  thanks  for 
answered  prayer,  and  cried  to  God  to  keep  the  boy,  by 
his  grace,  unto  eternal  life." 

The  revival  influence   had    now  spread    out    from 


182 


LIFE   OF   DWIGHT    LYMAN   MOODY. 


Chicago  into  many  cities  in  the  North-west,  and  helpers 
went  forth  to  assist  the  pastors.  Messrs.  Whittle  and 
Bliss  carried  on  the  good  work  at  Peoria,  Mr.  Harry 
Morehouse  at  Racine,  and  Messrs.  Xeedham  and  Steb- 
bins  at  Fort  Howard  in  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Moody  was  to 
have  closed  his  labors  in  Chicago,  Dec.  IT ;  but  such 
was  the  manifestation  of  divine  power  on  the  hearts  of 
the  people  that  it  was  deemed  advisable  for  him  to  con- 
tinue one  month  longer.  He  wrote,  Dec.  20,  an  appeal 
to  the  churches  of  the  North-west,  in  which  he  said, 
"  The  work  in  Chicago  ought  to  he  regarded  as  only 
a  small  part  of  a  great  general  awakening,"  and  urged 
them  to  unite  and  seek  for  it  in  importunate  prayer. 

In  his  sermon  on  Christmas  Eve  Mr.  Moody  made 
this  point,  which  moved  the  vast  audience  as  if  the 
angel  notes  were  pealing  over  it :  "  You  are  in  debt  to 
God,  and  you  have  nothing  to  pay;  but  Christ  offers 
to  pay  it  all  if  you  will  accept  him.  Set  down  all 
the  sins  you  can  think  of,  and  then  write  underneath, 
'  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin.'  There  it  is  over  there,  painted  on  the  gallery- 
front.  I  am  glad  they  painted  the  '  ALL  '  in  big  let- 
ters. That  is  the  gospel :  all  your  sins  are  washed 
away  in  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  Surely  that  is  the 
very  best  news  you  could  hear." 

The  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Mr.  P.  P.  Bliss  and 
his  wife  in  the  terrible  railroad  accident  at  Ashtabula 
Bridge,  Dec.  29,  filled  the  hearts  of  the  evangelists  with 
profound  sorrow.     On  the  sabbath  following,  the  choir 


INFLUENCE   OF  THE   WORK.  183 

at  the  Tabernacle  sung  several  of  the  hymns  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bliss ;  and  when  Mr.  Moody  came  upon  the  platform 
he  repeated  with  intense  emotion  the  words  of  David, 
"  Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince  and  a  great  man 
fallen  in  Israel  ?  "  He  then  said,  "  Let  us  lift  up  our 
hearts  to  God  in  silent  prayer,"  and  proceeded  afterwards 
to  speak  in  eulogistic  terms  of  the  deceased.  He  subse- 
quently raised  ten  thousand  dollars  by  subscription  for 
the  children  of  the  departed  singers,  and  also  had  money 
contributed  for  a  stone  to  perpetuate  their  memory. 

It  were  utterly  impossible  to  measure  by  numerical 
signs  the  mighty  influence  of  this  evangelical  enter- 
prise in  Chicago.  As  well  might  we  attempt  to  make 
a  record  of  the  sunbeams  dancing  over  the  waves  of 
ocean.  The  hearts  quickened,  the  eyes  opened,  the 
homes  gladdened,  the  kind  words  spoken,  the  prayers 
answered,  the  seeds  of  truth  scattered,  the  trains  of 
influence  started,  can  be  counted  only  in  the  land 
beyond  the  river.  "  It  has  been,"  says  The  Interior 
in  speaking  of  the  revival,  "  a  great  day  in  Chicago,  in 
many  respects  the  greatest  our  city  has  ever  seen.  It 
has  been  the  day  of  her  merciful  salvation.  Unlike 
her  day  and  her  nights  of  fire  and  sackcloth  and  ashes, 
it  has  been  a  day  of  joy  and  gladness ;  it  has  been  a 
day  of  Pentecost,  a  day  of  extraordinary  privileges,  a 
day  of  great  and  blessed  opportunities.  It  has  brought 
salvation  to  many  hearts  and  many  homes,  to  the  splen- 
did mansions  of  the  rich  and  to  the  humble  dwellings 
of  the  poor.     There  are  many  who  have  been  able  tc 


184  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

say  during  these  three  months,  as  they  have  never  saic 
before,  '  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad.'  Our  churches  are  revived,  our 
ministers  are  revived,  our  sabbath  schools  are  revived, 
our  Christian  homes  are  revived.  In  many  new  homes 
the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  is  now  heard  where  it 
was  never  before. 

If  ever  any  thing  was  put  forward  by  system,  it  has 
been  this  revival  movement ;  one  man  performing  one 
kind  of  labor,  and  another,  another  kind  of  labor ;  Mr. 
Moody  and  the  ministers  and  the  workers  sounding  out 
more  and  more  warmly  the  great  battle-cry.  The 
instrumentalities  have  been  short  prayers,  short  ser- 
mons, pathetic  gospel  songs,  Bible  readings,  hard  work, 
common  sense  in  an  unusual  degree,  and  a  zeal  and 
faith  which  grew  stronger  every  hour  up  to  the  close." 

After  the  foregoing  pages  had  been  written,  the 
following  interesting  account  of  the  revival  in  Chicago 
was  received  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pentecost :  — 

"  The  ordinary  seating-capacity  of  the  Tabernacle  was 
eight  thousand  ;  but  on  Sundays  and  special  occasions 
two  thousand  extra  chairs  were  introduced  to  accom- 
modate the  great  throngs  of  people.  Those  who  are 
accustomed  to  see  only  the  ordinary  six  hundred  or  one 
thousand  persons  who  make  up  an  average  city  congre- 
gation can  have  but  little  idea  of  the  imposing  effect 
produced   by   witnessing   that    vast    audience   of    ten 


GREAT   AUDIENCES. 


185 


thousand  people,  all  with  eager,  interested  faces,  listen- 
ing to  the  rapid  and  oftentimes  impassioned  utterances 
of  the  evangelist.  Yet  this  great,  and  in  this  country 
unprecedented    audience,  was    sustained    night    after 


INTERIOR  OF  TABERNACLE,    CHICAGO. 

night  for  nearly  four  months;  and  three  times  each 
Lord's  day  was  the  building  filled,  —  at  eight  A.M.,  and 
at  four  and  eight,  p.m.  But  the  meetings  in  the  Taber- 
nacle were  not  the  only  ones  held.     Twice  every  day 


186 


LIFE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 


Farwell  Hall,  with  a  seating-capacity  of  twenty-five 
hundred,  was  filled  to  overflowing.  At  noon  the  people 
gathered  in  it  to  spend  an  hour  in  prayer,  and  at  three 
o'clock,  P.M.,  again  to  listen  to  a  Bible-reading  by  Mr. 
Moody.  Beside  these  main  meetings  there  were  held 
every  day  a  men's  meeting  and  a  women's  meeting. 
In  addition  to  the  union  meetings  there  was,  as  a 
result  of  the  work  of  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey,  an 
unusual  interest  awakened  in  nearly  every  evangelical 
church  in  the  city,  so  that  almost  daily  the  various 
pastors  held  inquiry-meetings  in  their  churches. 

"  It  would  be  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  this 
awakening  was  confined  to  Chicago.  Such  was  not 
the  case :  it  was  felt  throughout  the  entire  North-west. 
By  twos  Mr.  Moody  sent  out  evangelists,  one  to  sing, 
and  one  to  open  the  Word;  and  in  all  the  leading 
towns  and  cities  round  about  the  truth  was  preached 
with  power  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  Of  this  great  work 
in  the  North-west,  it  may  be  said  in  the  language  of  one 
of  the  sweet  gospel  hymns,  — 

'  The  half  was  never  told. ' 


The  noonday  prayer-meeting  in  Farwell  Hall  was 
thrilled  again  and  again,  as  the  reports  came  in  from 
the  churches,  and  by  telegram  from  the  outlying  cities, 
where  the  evangelists  were  at  work,  of  the  great  things 
God  was  doino:  in  righteousness. 

"  One  of  the  most  blessed  results  of  the  meetings  in 
Chicago  was  the  fusing    together  of   the  evangelical 


PLAN   OF  THE   WOEK.  187 

churches.  Sectarianism  seemed  for  once  to  have  been 
laid  low  in  the  dust ;  and  it  will  be  impossible  in  this 
generation,  if  ever  again,  to  revive  it.  It  was  "  the 
church  which  is  in  Chicago."  One  had  to  make  dili- 
gent inquiry  to  find  out  to  what  denomination  the  min- 
isters who  were  in  constant  daily  attendance  belonged. 
This  alone  must  result  in  good  unspeakable. 

44  The  mere  casual  observer  might  not  have  noticed 
any  distinct  plan  in  the  meetings  ;  but  a  little  close 
observation  reveals  the  fact  that  never  did  a  general 
plan  a  campaign  with  more  method  and  precision  of 
detail  than  were  those  meetings  and  the  work  in  con- 
nection with  them  pre-arranged. 

u  As  near  as  can  be  indicated,  the  results  aimed  at 
were  as  follows  :  — 

11  First,  To  bring  about  union  of  effort  on  the  part  of 
the  evangelical  churches  and  ministry.  This  Mr. 
Moody  makes  a  grand  condition  of  success.  At  first 
the  union  may  have  been  more  apparent  than  real ;  but 
as  the  work  proceeded,  the  beauty,  power,  and  blessed- 
ness of  real  union,  in  the  effort  to  promote  results  dear 
alike  to  all  evangelical  believers,  were  realized.  The 
ministers  worked  together  as  brothers ;  and,  catching 
Mr.  Moody's  spirit,  they  seemed  to  realize  that  *  the 
church  which  Christ  purchased  with  his  blood,'  was 
of  more  importance  than  any  sect  within  the  church ; 
and,  as  a  consequence,  sect  and  sectarianism  took  their 
proper  and  subordinate  places.  It  is  pretty  certain 
that  hereafter  the  walls  between  Methodists,  Baptists, 


188  LIFE  OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

Congregationalists,  Presbyterians,  &c,  will  be  regarded 
as  walls  that  bind  together,  rather  than  as  those  that 
separate. 

"  Second,  The  next  general  movement  was  upon  the 
Christian  people  themselves,  and  the  work  was  thus 
divided.  First,  Christians  were  taught  the  sin  and 
misery  of  living  in  doubt  respecting  their  relationship 
to  God.  The  finished  work  of  Christ  was  urged  as  an 
all-sufficient  ground  for  coming  into  absolute  assurance 
of  salvation.  Frames  and  feelings  were  made  to  give 
place  to  assurance  based  upon  the  promises  of  God, 
which  cannot  be  broken.  When  the  question  was 
put,  '  Are  you  a  Christian  ?  '  or  '  Are  you  saved  ? '  the 
doubtful  4 1  hope  so,'  or  '  I  think  so,'  were  made  to 
give  place  to  the  simple  4  Yes,'  or  the  assured  ' I  am;' 
and  this  was  not  the  language  of  presumption,  but 
simply  that  of  faith.  The  4  verily,  verilies,'  of  Christ 
to  believers  were  made  prominent;  and,  throwing  them- 
selves upon  the  word  of  God,  Christians  were  lifted 
into  confidence.  '  These  things,'  says  John,  '  have  I 
written  to  you  that  believe,  that  ye  may  knoiv  that  ye 
have  eternal  life  '  (1  John  v.  13),  '  I  hioiv  whom  I 
have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep 
that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against  that  day ' 
(2  Tim.  i.  12),  and  other  scriptures  of  the  same 
import,  were  brought  forward.  The  result  was  joy, 
gladness,  and  liberty  among  the  believers.  That  snare 
of  Satan,  that  to  have  assurance  is  presumption,  and  to 
be  in  doubt  is  humility,  was  entirely  broken ;  and  scores 


WORLDLINESS.  189 

of  Christians  who  had  been  raised,  it  is  true,  out  of 
I  their  grave  of  trespasses  and  sins  (Eph.  ii.  1),  but  who 
came  forth  bound  hand  and  foot  with  their  grave- 
clothes,  and  who  had  been  living  for  years  thus  bound, 
were  loosed  and  set  free  (John  xi.  44).  It  was  most 
refreshing  to  be  in  company  with  these  Christians, 
walking  in  confidence,  and  yet  in  great  humility. 
Their  very  presence,  with  happy  voices  and  shining 
faces,  were  living  sermons.  Truly  that  was  seen  again 
which  is  recorded :  4  Then  were  the  churches  edified, 
and  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  comfort 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  were  multiplied'  (Acts  ix.  31). 
Second,  a  most  direct  and  searching  delivery  of  the 
word  of  God  was  made  upon  that  vast  multitude  of 
worldly  and  formal  Christians  who  have  a  name  to 
live  indeed,  but  are  dead,  —  who,  being  in  the  church 
nominally,  are  yet  really  in  and  love  the  world.  Truly 
they  came  to  church  once  or  more  on  the  Lord's  day, 
but  beyond  that  they  had  apparently  no  part  or  lot  in 
the  matter.  Such  persons  were  plainly  taught  that,  4  if 
any  man  love  the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not 
in  him.'  The  result  of  this  plain,  straightforward 
preaching  to  the  cold  and  inconsistent  members  of  the 
church  produced  a  very  marked  effect,  as  the  following 
incident  will  serve  to  illustrate :  — 

"  My  attention  was  attracted,  in  one  of  the  women's 
meetings,  to  a  remarkably  fine-looking  woman,  past 
middle  life,  plainly  but  elegantly  dressed,  and  evi- 
dently a  person  of  influence  and  position.     Yet  above 


190  LIFE   OF  D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

all  mere  dress  and  bearing  there  was  something  in  hei 
face  that  marked  her  as  being  thoroughly  devoted 
and  enthusiastic  in,  the  work.    On  asking  whoshe  was, 

a   friend   replied  to  me,  '  That  is  Mrs. .      She  is 

one  of  the  leading  women  in  Chicago,  —  wealthy  and 
very  influential.  A  few  weeks  ago  she  was  found  in 
the  inquiry-rooms ;  and,  when  Mr.  Moody  asked  if  she 
was   a   Christian,  she   replied,   "  Mr.    Moody,  I  am  a 

member  of  the church ;  but  I  am  going  straight 

down  to  hell.  And  that  is  not  the  worst  of  it :  I  am 
leading  my  husband  and  children  down  there  with 
me."  She  then  went  on  and  told  a  story  of  early  con- 
version, of  removal  in  early  life  to  Chicago,  of  the 
prosperity  of  her  husband  in  business,  of  accumulated 
wealth,  of  worldliness  coming  with  the  wealth,  of  a 
mere  nominal  Christian  life,  and  how  for  years  she  had 
been  plunging  headlong  into  every  fashionable  pleasure 
and  dissipation.  Now  the  whole  course  of  her  life  had 
been  suddenly  brought  before  her,  and  she  was  con- 
science-smitten, especially  as  she  believed,  that,  but  for 
her  sin  and  folly,  her  husband  and  her  children  might 
have  been  saved.  She  had  no  hope  for  herself,  but  was 
in  great  distress  about  her  family.  She  longed  to  see 
them  saved.  Mr.  Moocly  turned  her  thought  to  God's 
word  to  backsliders,  and  pressed  her  to  come  to  Him 
who  said,  "  Return,  thou  backsliding  Israel,  for  I  am 
merciful."  The  result  was,  that  then  and  there  she 
gave  her  heart  back  to  the  Lord,  accepting  his  plenteous 
mercy.     Going  to  her  home,  she  confessed  to  her  hus 


DUMB   CHRISTIANS.  191 

band  and  her  children  the  sinfulness  of  her  past  life, 
and,  seeking  their  forgiveness  for  unfaithfulness,  she 
besought  them  to  turn  to  the  Lord,  which  they  did ;  and 
salvation  came  to  all  in  her  house.  Then,  turning  to 
the  Lord  for  service,  she  gave  herself  entirely  to  it, 
and  became,  by  reason  of  her  zeal,  ability,  and  position, 
one  of  the  most  efficient  workers  in  Chicago.' 

u  It  might  also  be  mentioned  that  very  many  men 
who  had  been  silent  and  inactive  in  the  church,  except 
in  its  business  meetings,  have  been  greatly  quickened 
in  this  revival.  Dr.  Goodwin  gave  me  this  incident,  in 
connection  with  his  church  :  '  One  of  our  best  men, 
yet  one  who  never  took  any  part  in  our  devotional 
meetings,  went  one  day  to  a  brother  in  the  church,  who 
like  himself  was  a  "  silent  member,"  and  said  to  him, 
"  Brother  — — ,  you  and  I  have  been  in  the  church  a 
number  of  years,  and  yet  I  never  heard  your  voice  in 
prayer  or  testimony,  nor  you  mine.  Now,  I  think  we 
have  been  dumb  long  enough.  We  have  no  trouble  in 
talking  to  each  other  on  'Change  about  our  business. 
What  do  you  say  to  calling  with  me  upon  Brothers  A 
and  B  and  C  and  D,  who  like  ourselves  have  been 
silent  so  many  years,  and  having  a  meeting  of  the 
dumb  Christians  of  our  church?"  The  result  was 
a  gathering  of  the  dumb  for  prayer.  They  had  their 
meeting  -all  alone,  and  had  it  again;  "and  now,"  said 
Dr.  Goodwin,  "  we  can  scarcely  get  a  word  in  edge- 
wise." Several  of  the  largest  mercantile  houses  have 
suspended  business  during  an  afternoon,  and,  calling 


192 


LIFE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 


their  employees  together,  have  held  prayer-meetings. 
This  is  notably  true  of  the  house  of  John  V.  Farwell 
&  Co.,  and,  I  understand,  of  Field,  Leiter,  &  Company. 

"  Third,  Throughout  the  entire  North-west,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  large  towns  and  cities,  there  are  thousands 
of  men  and  women,  who,  having  removed  from  the  East- 
ern and  Middle  States,  have  taken  no  letters  from  their 
home  churches,  or,  if  so,  have  failed  to  ally  themselves 
with  any  of  the  churches  in  their  new  homes,  and  from 
various  causes  have  slipped  back  into  the  world,  and  are 
known  or  unknown  as  backsliders.  Vast  numbers  of 
these  wandering  and  backslidden  Christians  have  been 
reclaimed,  and  restored  to  the  churches. 

M  Thus  has  this  great  awakening  gone  through  the 
churches.  The  best  have  been  quickened ;  doubt  and 
despondency  among  morbid  Christians  have  given  place 
to  confidence  and  joy;  worldly  Christians  have  been 
led  into  a  new  consecration;  and  many  open,  sad  back- 
sliders have  been  turned  from  their  backslidings,  and 
restored  to  God.  The  work  in  the  church  would  of 
itself  be  an  unspeakable  blessing.  It  ought  to  be  added 
that  the  influence  of  these  meetings  upon  the  clergy 
has  been  most  helpful.  They  have  learned  new  lessons 
in  the  work  of  the  pulpit.  First  they  have  learned  that 
the  most  effective  preaching  is  not  the  most  elaborate, 
and  that  the  best  preaching  is  that  which  the  most 
simply  expounds  the  word  of  God  ;  and  second,  that 
written  sermons  are  not,  for  effectiveness  with  the 
masses,  to  be  compared,  as  a  general  rule,  with  direct, 
simple,  warm-hearted,  extemporaneous  address. 


THE  INTEMPERATE.  193 

"After  a  week  or  two  spent  in  stirring  up  the 
church,  and  inciting  Christians  to  consecration  and 
service,  the  preaching  was  directed  mainly  to  the  un- 
converted. Mr.  Moody's  style  of  speaking  is  direct  and 
simple.  He  adheres  rigidly  to  the  plain  statements  of 
the  word  of  God,  —  teaching  that  all  men  are  sinners, 
that  there  is  no  difference  as  to  guilt,  '  for  all  have 
sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God ; '  that 
1  God  commended  his  love  toward  us  in  that,  while  we 
were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us ; '  that  Christ  as 
the  Son  of  God  has  through  incarnation,  death,  and 
resurrection,  made  a  complete  and  finished  atonement 
for  sin ;  that  God  desires  the  salvation  of  all  men  ; 
that  all,  even  the  worst,  may  come  to  God  through 
Christ  now,  and  be  saved ;  that  conversion  occurs  the 
instant  the  sinner  believes.  His  sermons  are  character- 
ized by  an  intense,  living  earnestness.  One  feels  that 
he  loves  the  souls  of  men,  that  he  has  a  perfect  hunger 
for  them,  and  that  he  is  trying  all  the  time  not  only  to 
induce  them  to  trust  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  but 
also  by  his  own  simple  and  vehement  faith  to  lift  them 
himself  into  reconciliation  with  God.  He  believes 
thoroughly  in  the  existence  of  a  personal  Devil,  in 
future  punishment,  and  that  eternal  death  awaits  all  who 
reject  Jesus  Christ.  This  makes  his  preaching  terribly 
earnest.  He  has,  or  seems  to  have,  a  superabounding 
love  for  the  very  poor  and  the  deeply  fallen,  especially 
for  the  drunkard.  His  work  among  the  intemperate 
is  especially  marked  and  wonderful.     He  teaches  that 


194 


LIFE   OF   DWIGITT   LYMAN   MOODY. 


drunkenness  is  not  only  a  misfortune,  but  a  sin  ;  that  it 
can  be  dealt  with  effectually  only  by  grace ;  and  that 
this  can  and  does  save  drunkards  from  drunkenness 
well  as  from  the  desire  for  drink,  as  it  saves  a  liar  froi 
lying  and  from  the  desire  to  lie.  The  hope  of  perfect 
salvation  from  the  appetite  for  drink  has  in  it  a  charm 
for  the  drunkard,  —  who  has  so  vainly  striven  to  break 
loose  from  the  bondage  of  the  4  rum-devil '  as  he  calls 
it,  —  that  leads  him  to  seek  Christ  and  salvation  from 
all  sin.  Many  thrilling  incidents  of  salvation  coming- 
to  life-long  drunkards  might  be  related,  —  how  heart- 
broken families  have  been  lifted  up  and  restored ;  how 
men  who  have  gone  home  for  many  years  under  the 
influence  of  liquor  have  returned  at  last  converted. 
Several  hundred  drunkards  in  Chicago  have  been  thus 
saved. 

"  The  main  work  among  the  unconverted  is  done  in 
the  inquiry-rooms.  The  sermons  are  designed  mainly 
to  awaken  an  interest  in  the  things  of  God,  and  to  induce 
the  unconverted  to  go  into  the  inquiry-rooms  where  the 
work  of  the  meetings  is  really  done.  The  methods  used 
are  substantially  as  follows :  — 

"  After  the  sermon,  which  is  always  short,  all  persons 
desirous  of  being  saved  are  invited  to  retire  to  one  of 
the  many  inquiry-rooms  in  the  building.  Then  the 
benediction  is  pronounced,  a  hymn  is  sung,  and  the 
congregation  is  dismissed.  Usually  from  one  to  three 
hundred  persons  find  their  way  into  the  inquiry-rooms. 
Here  a  brief  address  is  made  explaining  more  fully  the 


CONVEETS.  195 

way  of  life,  then  follows  a  season  of  prayer;  then  at 
once  a  Christian  finds  out  some  unconverted  one,  and 
the  two,  going  together  apart  from  the  crowd,  sit  down 
face  to  face,  the  worker  having  the  Bible  in  his  hand. 
The  sin  of  the  human  heart  is  laid  bare,  and  the  saving 
grace  of  God  held  up.  Repentance,  faith,  and  the 
confession  of  Christ  are  urged.  All  over  the  room, 
earnestly  conversing  in  suppressed  voices,  these  little 
groups  may  be  seen,  apparently  oblivious  of  the 
presence  of  other  people.  After  a  while  two  persons 
may  be  noticed  slipping  quietly  from  their  chairs  to 
their  knees,  which  indicates  that  the  surrender  to  God 
has  been  made,  and  there  upon  the  bended  knees  the 
heart  is  given  to  Jesus  Christ ;  sometimes  it  means  that 
the  darkness  of  the  mind  is  so  great  that  no  progress 
can  be  effected,  and  that  an  appeal  is  made  to  heaven 
for  light  and  pardon. 

"  The  following  incident  may  serve  to  illustrate  the 
nature  of  the  work :  — 

"  The  inquiry-rooms  had  been  crowded  all  the  even- 
ing. It  was  now  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  most  of 
the  '  workers '  and  inquirers  had  gone  home.  A  few, 
however,  of  both  classes  were  lingering  still.  I  had 
just  left  a  man  —  a  straightforward  German  —  who  had 
given  himself  up  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ;  and  was 
about  leaving  the  room,  not  seeing  that  there  was  any 
thing  more  for  me  to  do,  when  I  was  approached  by  a 
young  Christian  who  said,  — 

"  *  Mr.  Pentecost,  before  you  go  won't  you  come  and 


196  LIFE   OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

speak  to  that  young  man  ?  [pointing  to  him]  I  do  not 
seem  to  be  able  to  meet  his  need.' 

"  *  Certainl}-,'  said  I,  and  went  over  to  where  the 
young  man  was  seated,  and,  drawing  a  chair  up  to  him, 
said,  — 

"  4  Can  I  be  of  any  help  to  you,  my  brother  ?  ' 

"  4 1  don't  know,  I  am  sure  ;  but,  if  you  can  give  me 
any  help,  I  will  gratefully  receive  it.' 

"  A  few  questions  developed  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
cultivated  young  German,  the  son  of  a  German  ration- 
alistic theologian.  He  had  been  but  a  short  time  in  this 
country.  He  was  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  cur- 
rent Continental  sceptical  philosophers,  he  told  me  that 
he  was  fond  of  study,  and  especially  philosophical  study, 
and  gave  good  evidence  of  familiarity  with  the  various 
schools  of  thought  current  and  past ;  he  said  he  had  been 
led  to  think  of  Christianity  as  an  ingenious  mythology, 
having  a  very  slender  thread  of  historical  truth  in  it, 
more  or  less  the  product  of  an  early  enthusiasm  that 
had  exalted  Jesus  into  Deity.  He  confessed  that  he 
had  never  made  the  New  Testament  a  study,  but  had 
imbibed  his  opinions  mainly  from  Strauss.  He  went  on 
to  say  that  he  had  been  attracted  by  curiosity  into  the 
Tabernacle,  and  had  been  amazed  at  the  vast  audi- 
ences held  together  week  after  week  without  excite- 
ment, simply  by  the  rehearsal  of  Christian  truths  and 
Bible  stories.  He  admitted  that  he  was  impressed  with 
the  matter  of  Mr.  Moody's  preaching,  and  was  con- 
vinced from  his  manner  that   he   was  a  sincere  and 


A  CONVERT.  197 

honest  teacher.  Finally  he  determined  to  take  up  the 
New  Testament,  and  carefully  read  it.  He  had  done  so, 
and  this  night  he  had  come  into  the  inquiry-room  to 
seek  conversation  with  some  Christian  who  would 
explain,  if  it  were  possible,  some  of  the  chief  difficulties 
that  he  met  with  in  the  New  Testament.  He  was 
altogether  frank  and  candid,  saying  that  he  was  free  to 
admit  that  a  careful  reading  of  the  New  Testament 
revealed  a  purer  and  altogether  better  system  of  ethics 
than  any  of  the  philosophers  with  whom  he  was 
acquainted,  and  that  the  whole  book  had  an  air  of 
sincerity  and  truth  about  it.  But  there  were  several 
insuperable  difficulties  in  the  way  of  his  acceptance  of 
it  as  truth. 

"  I  asked  him  to  state  his  difficulties,  which  he  did  in 
about  these  words  :  — 

"  '  There  are  three  great  claims  set  forth  in  the  New 
Testament,  upon  the  truth  of  which  it  seems  to  me  the 
whole  system  must  stand  or  fall.' 

"  «  What  are  they  ?  ' 

"  'Why,  first  of  all,  it  is  claimed  all  through  the  New 
Testament  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  i.e.,  God 
manifested  in  human  nature  —  a  supernatural  being. 
This  he  claimed  for  himself,  and  even  died  in  defence  of 
the  claim ;  for,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  that  was  the 
charge  upon  which  he  was  put  to  death  by  the  Jews, 
that  in  claiming  to  be  the  Son  of  God  he  made  himself 
to  be  equal  with  God,  which  is  blasphemy.  Certainly 
he  believed  himself  to  be  God ;  and  so  did  his  apostles, 
especially  John  and  Paul." 


198  LITE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

44  4  Well,  what  is  your  next  difficulty  ? ' 

44 '  Why,  the  next  difficulty  is  that  our  salvation 
depends  not  upon  the  uprightness  of  our  own  lives,  but 
upon  the  fact  of  Christ's  death,  which  is  represented  as 
a  sacrificial  act,  —  what  Mr.  Moody  calls  the  atone- 
ment.' 

44  4  Well,  what  is  the  other  difficulty  ? ' 

44  4  Why,  the  resurrection  of  Christ  from  the  dead. 
Every  thing  in  Christianity  depends  upon  that.' 

44  4  Well,'  said  I,  4  now,  why  are  these  things  difficul- 
ties to  you  ? ' 

44  4  Wiry,  I  cannot  possibly  believe  that  Jesus  was  God : 
he  could  not  be.  And  it  is  not  possible  for  any  one  who 
was  really  dead  to  rise  again :  such  a  thing  never  was  in 
the  world,  and  it  cannot  be  ;  and  even  if  it  were  so  I 
do  not  see  how  any  one  could  be  saved  on  account  of 
another's  death,  and  not  on  account  of  his  own  upright- 
ness.' 

44 1  confess  that  the  task  before  me  seemed  very  great 
indeed.  But  he  seemed  guileless  in  his  desire  to  know 
the  truth,  and  so  with  a  prayer  in  my  heart  for  help  I 
said,  — 

44  4  Well,  now,  let  us  look  at  the  first  difficulty, — 
the  incarnation.  As  I  understand  it,  you  are  a  theist : 
you  believe  in  the  existence  of  a  personal,  eternal,  and 
omnipotent  God,  who  is  the  author  of  the  universe  and 
our  being  ? ' 

444  Oh,  yes!' 

44  Very  well.     Now,  with  that  for  a  starting-point  you 


A  CONVERT.  199 

cannot  philosophically  hold  that  the  incarnation  is  an 
impossibility,  —  that  it  could  not  be.' 

A  very  little  talk  ended  in  his  admitting  the  possi- 
bility of  the  incarnation,  but  denying  the  probability 
of  it ;  and  then  he  went  on  to  say  with  the  quickness 
of  thought,  and  the  clearest  perception  of  the  whole 
matter,  — 

"  But  I  think  Jesus  was  himself  deceived.  I  grant 
that  he  may  have  in  moments  of  enthusiasm  thought 
he  was  the  Son  of  God ;  and  that  he  did  at  times  make 
this  claim,  there  is  no  doubt.  But  at  other  times  he  cer- 
tainly made  such  statements  as  forbid  us  on  his  own 
testimony  to  believe  that  he  was  equal  with  God ; 
indeed,  he  admits  that  he  is  an  inferior  being.  In  fact, 
Christ's  own  testimony  concerning  himself  is  contra- 
dictory ;  and  this  leads  me  to  question  the  truth  of  the 
Gospels,  and  so  to  reject  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  and 
hence  Christianity  itself;  for  Christianity  is  nothing 
but  a  beautiful  delusion  if  Christ  is  not  what  he  claims 
to  be.  Now,  he  says  in  one  place,  "  I  and  my  Father  are 
one  ;  "  and  again,  "  He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the 
Father ; "  and  as  I  have  before  said,  when  on  trial  before 
the  high  priest,  he  still  claimed,  and  that  in  the  face  of 
certain  death,  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God.  But  he 
said  on  another  occasion  that  his  Father  was  greater 
than  he.  Now,  he  can't  be  one  with  God,  and  at  the 
same  time  inferior  to  God.  And  he  says,  "  All  power 
is  given  unto  me."  Now,  that  is  an  admission  that  he 
did  not  have  power  himself,  but  it  was  given  to  him ; 


200  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT  LYMAN  MOODY. 

and  surely  he  that  receives  power  is  inferior  to  him 
that  gives  it.  Now,  are  not  these  contradictions  in 
his  own  testimony  ?  and  do  not  they  destroy  the  worth 
of  it  entirely  ?  It  seems  to  me,  that  whatever  of  truth 
there  may  be  in  the  historical  existence  of  Jesus  Christ, 
he  only  imagined  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  that 
in  speaking  of  himself  he  spoke  according  to  the  mood 
he  was  in,  sometimes  believing  himself  to  be  the  Son  of 
God.' 

M  Finally  I  said,  after  turning  to  the  passages  he  had 
referred  to,  and  reading  them  aloud,  — 

"  '  Now,  suppose  that  you  had  been  on  earth  when 
Jesus  was  here,  and  had  heard  him  make  these  con- 
tradictory (?)  statements,  and  had  asked  him,  saying, 
"  Master,  I  do  not  quite  understand  you.  A  little  while 
ago  you  said,  6 1  and  my  Father  are  one,'  and,  4  He  that 
hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father ; '  and  again  you  say, 
'  My  Father  is  greater  than  I; '  and,  'All  power  is  given 
me.'  How  can  you  be  one  with  the  Father,  and  yet  less 
than  the  Father  ?  and  how  can  you  be  equal  with  the 
Father  if  your  power  is  given  to  you  and  not  yours 
independently?"  And  suppose  he  had  said  in  reply, 
"  My  child,  what  if  for  the  purpose  of  your  redemption 
from  sin  and  the  curse  of  the  law,  I  voluntarily  laid 
aside  my  eternal  glory,  and  suffered  myself  to  be  made 
of  a  woman,  and  made  under  the  law,  thus  Kmiting  my 
being  to  the  conditions  of  your  nature,  that  I  might  in 
that  nature  offer  up  to  God  such  a  sacrifice  for  sin  as 
would  enable  him  to  proclaim  forgiveness  of  sins  to  the 


A   CONVERT.  201 

whole  world  ?  In  such  a  case  can  you  not  conceive  that 
there  is  no  contradiction  in  these  sayings  of  mine  ? 
For  indeed  I  am  one  with  the  Father,  and  he  that 
hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father ;  but  for  purposes  of 
atonement  I  have  voluntarily  assumed  an  inferior  posi- 
tion, that  I  might  thus  take  your  place  and  die,  which 
I  could  not  have  done  unless  I  had  taken  a  subordinate 
place.  Thus  I  sometimes  speak  of  my  eternal  relation 
to  God,  and  sometimes  my  relation  to  him  as  the  mes- 
senger of  the  covenant  sent  for  to  redeem."  ' 

"  He  listened  attentively  to  this,  and  then  said,  as  if 
speaking  to  himself,  — 

"  '  Yes,  that  might  be.  I  can  see  how  that  might  be. 
But  [speaking  to  me]  did  Christ  ever  make  such  an 
explanation  ?  Is  that  the  theory  of  Christ's  subordina- 
tion to  the  Father  ?  ' 

"  I  in  answer  turned  to  the  second  chapter  of  Philip- 
pians,  and  said,  4  Certainly  this  is  the  explanation  of  it. 
For  see  :  Paul  was  trying  to  inculcate  lessons  of  humility 
by  exhorting  the  Philippians  to  voluntarily  take  a 
subordinate  place  in  relation  to  each  other,  though  they 
might  as  a  matter  of  fact  and  right  stand  on  an  equality ; 
and  enforced  his  exhortation  by  this  reference :  "  Let 
this  mind  be  in  you  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus ; 
who  being  in  the  form  of  God  thought  it  not  robbery  to 
be  equal  with  God  [thought  not  his  equality  with  God 
something  to  be  contended  for],  but  made  himself  of 
no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  ser 
vant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men,  and  being 


202 


LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 


found  in  fashion  as  a  man  he  humbled  himself,  and 
became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
cross."  '     (Phil.  ii.  5-8.) 

44  He  took  my  Bible  in  his  hand,  and  read  the  passage 
over  and  over  himself,  and  said,  4  Wonderful,  wonder- 
ful ! '  And,  still  holding  the  book  in  his  hand,  with 
quivering  chin  and  moistened  eyes  he  said,  — 

"  4  Yes,  the  Son  of  God  made  himself  of  no  reputa- 
tion for  me,  and  took  my  nature,  and  died  on  the  cross 
for  me.' 

M  And  then  looking  up  into  my  face,  said,  4  What 
have  I  got  to  do  about  it? ' 

"  To  which  I  replied,  4  Accept  him,  believe  on  him, 
and  confess  him  as  your  Saviour.' 

"'May  I?' 

"  I  replied,  opening  my  Bible  to  Rom.  x.  9,  '  If  thou 
shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt 
believe  in  thy  heart  that  God  hath  raised  him  from  the 
dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved.' 

44  4  Let  me  see  that.' 

44 1  handed  him  the  book,  and  he  read  it  aloud,  and 
then  said,  — 

44  4 1  do  believe  in  my  heart  that  God  raised  him  from 
the  dead,  and  I  do  acknowledge  him  as  my  Saviour.' 

44  We  dropped  down  together  upon  our  knees  (with  a 
little  group  which  had  gathered  about  us),  and  I  offered 
a  little  prayer  of  thanksgiving  to  God  for  his  conver- 
sion, and  a  little  petition  for  his  keeping. 

44  It  will  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  there  was  no  attempt 


CONVERTS.  203 

made  to  meet  his  objections  by  an  exhaustive  argument, 
but  by  simply  presenting  the  Biblical  statement  to  him, 
leaving  the  work  of  conviction  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  As 
a  mere  argument,  the  statement  may  have  been  very 
defective ;  but  God  can  take  his  own  truth  and  use  it 
more  mightily  than  the  strongest  argument  man  can 
construct." 

"  The  blessed  work  went  on  from  night  to  night,  and 
from  day  to  day,  for  nearly  four  months.  Nor  must  it 
be  supposed  that  the  only  personal  efforts  of  this  kind 
made  were  in  the  inquiry-rooms.  Far  from  it.  In 
homes,  in  shops,  in  counting-rooms,  all  over  the  city, 
God  was  working  through  his  people.  There  must 
have  been  great  joy  in  heaven  in  the  presence  of  the 
angels  of  God  during  the  continuance  of  this  work. 
At  the  close  of  it  the  names  of  forty-eight  hundred 
converts  who  resided  in  Chicago,  to  say  nothing  of 
those  living  elsewhere,  were  recorded.  May  such  a 
work,  yea,  a  far  greater  one,  be  done  in  Boston ! " 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    EVANGELISTS    IN"    BOSTON.  —  PROGRESS    OF    THE    REVIVAL, - 
SECRET  OF  MR.   MOODY'S  SUCCESS. 

Preparations  for  the  Revival.  —  The  Tabernacle.  —  Unity  of  Sentiment. 

—  Dedication  of  the  Building. — Obstacles  to  the  'Work.  —  The 
Beginning.  —  Luxury  of  Doing  Good.  —  Mr.  Moody's  Aim. — He 
asks  for  Prayer.  —  His  Success.  —  Temperance.  —  Ladies'  Meeting.— 
Keasons  for  Separate  Services.  —  Jericho  and  Boston.  —  Booms  of 
Inquiry  opened.  —  Spirit  of  the  Meetings.  —  An  Intemperate  Man. 

—  Days  of  Pasting.  —  Ministers  at  the  Meeting.  —  "  Faith."  —  Praise 
Meeting. — Dr.  Mallalieu  preaches  on  the  Bevival.  —  Mr.  Moody's 
Belief .  —  His  Sermons  on  Heaven.  —  Story  of  Mr.  Sankey.  —  Service 
of  Song.  —  Elements  of  his  Power.  —  Simple  Language.  —  Imagina- 
tion. —  Study  of  the  Bible.  —  Earnestness.  —  Naturalness.  —  Bapid- 
ity  of  Utterance.  —  The  Spirit  of  God. — Mr.  Moody's  Personal 
Appearance.  —  Voice.  —  Manner. 

"  I  think  it  meet,  as  long  as  I  am  in  this  tabernacle,  to  stir  you  up  by  putting 
you  in  remembrance."  —  St.  Peteb. 

"  Ride  on  in  thy  greatness,  thou  conquering  Saviour; 
Let  thousands  of  thousands  submit  to  thy  reign, 
Acknowledge  thy  goodness,  entreat  for  thy  favor, 
And  follow  thy  glorious  train." 

S.  F.  Smith. 

The  two  evangelists  commenced  their  labors  in 
Boston  on  Sunday,  the  28th  of  January,  1877,  under 
the  most  favorable  auspices.  Extensive  preparations 
had  been  made,  and  every  thing  that  human  foresight 

204 


THE  TABEKNACLE.  205 

could  devise  was  provided  to  secure  success.  A  meet- 
ing at  which  seventy-eight  churches  were  represented 
was  held  as  early  as  the  8th  of  May,  1876,  when  it  was 
voted  to  invite  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey  to  labor  in 
Boston,  and  to  extend  to  them  hearty  co-operation  and 
support.  On  the  28th  of  June  Mr.  Moody  himself 
visited  Boston,  and  held  a  conference  with  the  repre- 
sentatives of  about  three  hundred  churches,  but  came 
to  no  decision  as  to  when  he  might  commence  his  evan- 
gelical efforts  in  the  city.  At  a  meeting,  Sept.  13,  held 
by  the  committee  before  appointed,  it  was  enlarged  to 
fifty  members,  of  which  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Webb,  D.D., 
was  made  the  chairman.  By  the  6th  of  November  the 
sum  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  had  been  given  or 
pledged  for  the  construction  of  a  building  for  the  use 
of  the  revivalists;  the  work  thereon  was  immediately 
commenced,  and  at  the  close  of  the  second  week  in 
January  completed.  It  is  a  substantial  brick  edifice  on 
Tremont  Street,  with  eight  entrances,  and  capable  of 
seating  about  six  thousand  persons.  It  has  an  ample 
platform  for  about  eight  hundred  persons  in  addition  to 
the  choir,  together  with  rooms  for  inquirers  and  other 
purposes.  It  is  well  lighted,  warmed,  and  ventilated ; 
and,  on  the  whole,  presents  without  as  well  as  within 
a  tasteful,  neat,  and  inviting  aspect.  While  the  work- 
men were  constructing  this  large  tabernacle,  earnest 
prayers  in  churches,  ministers'  meetings,  Christian  con- 
ferences, sabbath  schools,  and  domestic  circles,  were 
ascending  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the 


' ' 


I 


DEDICATION   OF  THE   BUILDING.  207 

people.  Evangelical  ministers  were  united,  spiritual 
forces  were  combined,  and  Christians,  forgetting  the 
denominational  lines  dividing  them,  held  union  meet- 
ings, and  freely  gave  their  talents,  time,  and  money,  to 
help  on  the  preparations.  A  choir  of  about  two  thou- 
sand singers  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Eben  Tourjee, 
and  divided  into  five  complete  organizations,  together 
with  a  large  compan}^  of  Christian  workers,  was  trained 
for  the  spiritual  awakening ;  ushers  were  appointed 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Franklin  W.  Smith;  the 
new  "  Gospel  Hymns,"  prepared  by  Messrs.  Bliss  and 
Sankey,  were  sold  by  thousands ;  and  other  provisions 
for  efficient  co-operation  with  the  long-expected  heralds 
of  salvation  made. 

The  building  was  dedicated  on  Thursday  evening, 
Jan.  25,  when  addresses  were  made  by  Bishop  Foster, 
the  Bev.  B.  Thomas,  the  Bev.  B.  B.  Meredith,  and  the 
Bev.  Dr.  E.  B.  Webb ;  the  dedicatory  prayer  was 
offered  by  the  Bev.  A.  J.  Gordon  ;  the  singing  by  Dr. 
Tourjee's  large  choir  was  grandly  effective,  and  a  pro- 
found solemnity  prevailed  through  all  the  services.  A 
free-will  offering  of  $2,390  was  made  by  the  assembly. 

Preparations  for  evangelism  on  such  an  extended 
scale  had  never  before  been  seen  in  the  metropolis. 

But  Boston  prides  itself  on  being  the  "  Athens  of 
America."  Mr.  Moody  sometimes  breaks  the  rules  of 
grammar :  will  the  people  come  to  hear  him  ?  Boston 
is  aesthetical,  fond  of  literary  culture,  critical.  Mr. 
Moody   has   no   taste   for   any   thing  but   the    Bible : 


OBSTACLES   TO  THE  WORK.  209 

will  he  command  attention  ?  Boston,  with  its  numer- 
ous schools  and  institutions,  is  scientific,  philosophical. 
Mr.  Moody  never  studied  Darwin :  will  his  teachings 
be  accepted  ?  Boston  abounds  in  learned  theologians. 
Mr.  Moody  never  read  Hooker,  Paley,  Hodge,  or  Chan- 
ning :  will  he  make  an  impression  ?  Such  considera- 
tions filled  the  minds  ©f  some  with  doubt ;  but  those 
who  knew  the  man,  who  had  traced  his  wonderful 
career  in  Great  Britain  and  America,  felt  assured  that 
the  Tabernacle  had  not  been  raised  in  vain. 

The  two  evangelists  arrived  soon  after  the  dedica- 
tion ;  the  preacher  making  his  home  with  Mr.  Henry  F. 
Durant,  the  sacred  minstrel  his  at  the  Hotel  Bruns- 
wick. All  things  are  in  readiness  :  now  what  will  the 
opening  of  their  evangelism,  what  will  the  harvest  be  ? 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  Jan.  28,  the  Tabernacle  was 
densely  crowded  with  an  expectant  throng ;  and  the 
services  were  opened  with  singing  by  the  choir,  and  a 
prayer  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Webb.  At  length  the  two 
evangelists  appeared  upon  the  platform,  Mr.  Sankey 
taking  his  seat  beside  his  beloved  melocleon,  and  Mr. 
Moody  at  his  little  desk.  The  favorite  hymns  "  Ninety 
and  Nine  "  and  "  Only  an  Armor-Bearer  "  were  then 
sung  with  sympathetic  fervor ;  after  which  Mr.  Moody 
rose  and  delivered  in  his  usual  earnest  and  impetuous 
tone  his  oft-repeated  sermon  on  "  Going  up  to  Possess 
the  Land,"  adapting  various  parts  of  it,  as  he  went 
along,  to  the  condition  of  his  audience.  His  aim  was 
here,  as  in  the  beginning  of  his  work  in  other  cities,  to 


210  LITE  OF   D WIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

incite  Christians  to  personal  consecration  and  activity. 
"  When  we  came  to  Boston,"  said  he,  "  some  people 
thus  spoke  to  me :  *  Mr.  Moody,  we  must  give  you  a 
little  warning.  You  must  remember  that  Boston  is  a 
peculiar  place,  and  you  cannot  expect  to  do  the  same 
here  as  elsewhere ;  there  are  a  great  many  obstacles.' 
It  is  the  same  old  story :  Boston  is  the  same  as  other 
places.  The  enemy  cannot  hinder  God  from  working, 
if  we  only  have  faith.  This  terrible  unbelief  God  can 
shake  in  Boston,  as  easy  as  a  mother  can  shake  her 
little  child." 

The  audience  appeared  to  be  highly  pleased  with  the 
brusque  and  earnest  manner  of  the  speaker ;  and  many 
felt  and  said,  "  There  is  a  power  here,  of  God  or  man, 
that  cannot  be  resisted." 

In  the  evening  the  Tabernacle  was  again  thronged 
to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  ".overflow  meetings"  were 
held  in  Clarendon-street  and  Berkeley-street  Churches. 
Mr.  Sankey  concluded  the  introductor}r  exercises  by 
singing  in  his  charming  style  the  popular  hymn  by 
"Paulina"  (Mrs.  Bliss),— 

"  We're  marching  to  Canaan,  with  banner  and  song,"  — 

when  Mr.  Moody  came  forward,  and  enchained  the 
attention  of  the  grand  assembly  by  his  spirited  address 
on  "  Christian  Courage,"  of  which  he  himself  might  be 
cited  as  an  illustrious  example.  The  sermon  abounded 
in  stories,  anecdotes,  and  epigrammatic  points,  with 
here  and  there  a  touch  of  pathos  moving  many  in  the 


LUXURY  OF  DOING   GOOD.  211 

audience  to  tears.  The  luxury  of  doing  good  he  thus 
vividly  set  forth  :  "  Suppose,"  said  he,  "  an  angel  could 
wing  his  way  to  this  world  to-night,  and  should  go 
back  to  say,  l  There  is  just  one  solitary  child  in  Bos- 
ton, whose  mother  is  dead,  and  whose  father  is  drunk  ; 
and  the  poor  homeless,  motherless  boy  is  wandering  in 
the  street ; '  and  God  should  call  around  his  throne  the 
angels,  and  ask  if  any  one  of  them  was  willing  to 
live  here  for  fifty  or  a  hundred  years  to  save  that  little 
child:  I  don't  think  there  would  be  one  who  would  not 
volunteer.  I  can  imagine  each  one  saying,  '  Lord,  let 
me  go,  and  have  the  luxury  of  leading  one  soul  to 
Christ.'  And  yet  the  Church  has  folded  its  arms,  and 
a  great  many  of  us  are  sound  asleep.'  '  In  his  closing 
prayer  he  used  the  strong  expression,  "  O  Son  of  God, 
beat  back  these  dark  waves  of  death  and  hell,  that 
come  rolling  down  through  the  streets ;  and  may  the 
day  come  when  of  the  city  of  Boston,  as  of  the  city  of 
Samaria,  it  shall  be  said,  4  There  is  great  joy  in  that 
city.' '  After  this,  Mr.  Sankey  sung,  as  none  but  he 
can  sing,  "  Hold  the  Fort ; "  and  the  Rev.  Phillips 
Brooks  (Episcopalian)  pronounced  the  benediction. 

The  first  noon  prayer-meeting  was  held  on  Monday  in 
Park-street  Church,  which  was  filled  to  overflowing. 
In  the  evening  Mr.  Moody  delivered  his  sermon  on  the 
text  "  To  every  man  his  work,"  before  an  immense 
assemblage  at  the  Tabernacle,  —  his  design  being,  as 
before,  to  bring  Christians  into  earnest  personal  labor 
for  the  salvation  of  their  fellow-men.     He  regards  the 


212  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

Church  as  God's  great  instrument  for  the  conversion  of 
the  world,  and  therefore  labors  wisely  in  the  outset  for 
its  renovation. 

In  the  prayer-meeting  held  after  the  close  of  the  reg- 
ular services,  Mr.  Moody  said,  "  We  are  here  to-night 
to  pray  for  one  another.  Remember  me  in  your  prayers. 
I  do  not  understand  it,  but  I  have  many  times  felt 
when  I  have  gone  from  one  place  to  another,  and  tried 
to  do  the  work  with  the  grace  that  God  has  given  me 
to  work  in  another  place,  it  seems  to  me  that  every  time 
we  change  we  need  a  fresh  baptism,  a  fresh  power,  a 
fresh  supply  of  grace  ;  and,  now  we  have  come  to  Bos- 
ton, we  would  like  to  have  you  pray  for  us,  that  God 
may  bless  us  with  his  Spirit,  and  Christ  may  enter  all 
our  prayers,  and  be  a  power  in  us  to  preach  the  simple 
gospel.  And  now,  if  there  are  any  friends  to  pray  for  us 
and  to  be  prayed  for,  would  you  just  rise  ?  " 

As  many  as  three  thousand  people  rose,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Pentecost  made  a  fervent  prayer. 

At  the  noon  prayer-meeting  in  Tremont  Temple  on 
Tuesday,  Jan.  30,  there  was  an  immense  crowd  pres- 
ent, and  hundreds  were  not  able  to  obtain  admittance. 
Mr.  Sankey  sung  Mrs.  Lydia  Baxter's  fine  hymn  "  Take 
the  Name  of  Jesus  with  you "  most  effectively,  and 
Mr.  Moody  spoke  upon  his  favorite  theme,  "  The  Char- 
acter of  Daniel."  The  large  attendance  at  the  various 
meetings  during  the  week,  the  heavy  blows  that  Mr. 
M oody  struck  into  the  formalism  and  indifference  of 
Christians,  the  hearty  response  of  ministers  and  others 


ladies'  meeting.  213 

to  his  appeals  for  greater  personal  activity,  the  effective 
solo  and  chorus  singing,  together  with  the  interest 
observable  in  the  respective  churches,  gave  assurance 
that  the  Tabernacle  had  not  been  raised  in  vain.  The 
long-desired  revival  had  already  begun.  Hearts  which 
the  eloquence  of  the  learned  could  not  reach  were 
moved  and  melted  by  the  simple  and  pathetic  words  of 
the  evangelists. 

At  the  Friday  noon  meeting,  Feb.  2,  the  Tabernacle 
was  completely  filled.  The  theme  was  "  Temperance  ;  " 
and  in  the  course  of  his  remarks  Mr.  Moody  said,  "  What 
are  we  going  to  do  to  stem  this  terrible  torrent  of  ini- 
quity ?  We  have  tried  a  great  many  methods :  we  have 
had  our  temperance  societies  and  bands  of  hope,  our 
lodges  and  our  reform-clubs ;  we  have  had  the  pledge. 
But  I  am  almost  discouraged  with  these  things ;  I  am 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that  the  only  hope  is  that  the 
Son  of  God  is  to  come  and  to  destroy  man's  appetite  for 
liquor."  Such  is  the  view  of  the  evangelist :  yet  he 
believes  in  means  and  instruments  ;  must  we  not,  then, 
use  them  in  respect  to  temperance  until  the  Son  of  God 
does  come  ?  In  the  course  of  the  meeting  three  re- 
formed inebriates  spoke ;  and,  when  the  audience  began 
to  applaud  the  last  speaker,  Mr.  Moody  rose  at  once  and 
said,  "  Let  us  praise  God  with  our  hearts,  and  keep  our 
hands  still." 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  at  the  Tabernacle  another 
very  devotional  exercise,  at  which  about  a  thousand 
ladies    were     present,    was    held    in    Berkeley-street 


214  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

Church.  At  Chicago  Mr.  Moody  gaYe  as  a  reason  for 
classifying  some  of  the  meetings,  that  he  could  thereby 
do  the  most  good  to  the  greatest  number  of  people. 
"  There  were  a  great  many  good  brethren  and  sisters 
who  seemed  bound  to  attend  eYery  single  meeting. 
They  were  always  on  hand  promptly,  and  always  occu- 
pied the  front  seats.  When  he  and  Mr.  Sankey  were 
in  New  York,  there  was  one  man  who  always  sat  up  in 
front,  and  eYen  Mr.  Sankey  said  he  got  tired  of  seeing 
that  same  face  in  the  same  place  eYery  night.  "When 
they  went  to  Philadelphia,  they  thought  they  had  seen 
the  last  of  this  brother ;  but  no,  he  was  there  every 
night,  and  seemed  to  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  come 
early  and  get  one  of  the  best  seats.  [Laughter.]  When 
they  returned  to  Xew  York,  there  was  their  eld  friend 
again  in  his  old  seat;  but  he  couldn't  get  into  the 
woman's  meetings,  and  then  at  least  he  had  no  chance 
to  crowd  somebody  else  out  who  didn't  have  his  oppor- 
tunities for  attending." 

Although  his  son  Willie  was  seriously  ill,  Mr.  Moody 
presented  himself  in  the  evening  at  the  Tabernacle,  and 
spoke  with  his  wonted  vehemence  on  the  text  "  Who  is 
my  neighbor?  "  saying  with  startling  effect, — 

"  I  don't  think  Jericho  is  far  from  Boston  :  I  don't 
think  you  have  got  to  travel  thousands  of  miles  to  get 
to  Jericho.  I  think  you  will  find  a  great  many  who 
have  been  stripped  and  wounded  and  left  half  dead  in 
the  streets  of  Boston.  Eight  or  ten  Christians  came  to 
me  to-day  to  set  them  to  work.     I  looked  at  them  in 


SPIEIT   OF  THE  MEETINGS.  215 

perfect  amazement,  — persons  who  have  been  living  ten 
and  fifteen  years  in  Boston,  and  yet  want  a  stranger  to 
set  them  to  work !  Ah  !  you  will  find  enough  to  do  if 
you  will  keep  your  eyes  open." 

On  Sunday  morning,  Feb.  4,  Mr.  Moody  preached 
to  sabbath-school  teachers,  and  said  as  he  went  along 
that  he  had  never  had  his  work  open  better  than  in 
Boston.  In  the  afternoon  he  delivered  his  sermon  on 
"  Sowing  and  Reaping  "  to  the  ladies,  and  in  the  even- 
ing, the  same  discourse  to  men  alone.  The  inquiry- 
rooms,  opened  for  the  first  time  to-day,  were  visited  by 
as  many  as  five  hundred  people,  some  of  whom  had  just 
found  peace  in  believing. 

In  the  morning  Mr.  Moody  attended  service  at  the 
Technological  Institute,  and  listened  to  an  eloquent 
sermon  by  the  Rev.  Phillips  Brooks. 

The  noon  meeting  at  the  Tabernacle,  Feb.  8,  was 
attended  by  about  five  thousand  people.  A  praise- 
meeting  well  conducted  by  Mr.  H.  L.  Whitney,  and 
many  requests  for  prayer,  preceded  Mr.  Moody's  ser- 
vice. This  was  upon  the  "  Necessity  of  Salvation,"  and 
by  it  many  hearts  were  moved.  Although  some  take 
exceptions  to  the  methods  used  in  the  revival-work,  — 
such  as  the  urgency  of  appeals  to  the  inquirer,  and  the 
presentation  of  so  many  special  requests  for  prayer,  — 
the  solemnity  of  the  meetings,  the  numbers  converted, 
and  the  brightening  of  the  hopes  of  Christians,  are  sure 
indications  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  silently  moving  the 
hearts  of  the  people. 


216  LIFE  OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

To  an  Irishman  who  presented  himself  to  Mr.  Moody 
as  a  Catholic,  he  said,  "  I  suppose  you  are  an  enemy 
of  all  righteousness."  —  "  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 
replied  the  indignant  visitor.  "  I  smell  your  breath," 
answered  the  revivalist.  He  afterwards  knelt  with  the 
intemperate  man  in  prayer. 

Many  of  the  churches  in  the  State  observed  this  day 
as  one  of  fasting  and  prayer  on  behalf  of  the  efforts  of 
the  two  evangelists  in  the  metropolis.  It  was  also 
observed  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  The  meetings  at  the 
Tabernacle  still  continue  to  increase  in  interest,  and  the 
awakening  is  felt  in  many  of  the  city  and  suburban 
churches. 

The  Tabernacle  on  the  9th  inst.  was  densely  crowded, 
and  the  opening  prayer  was  made  by  the  Rev.  Phillips 
Brooks.  Mr.  Sankey  sung,  "Free  from  the  Law,"  and 
"  Hallelujah  !  what  a  Name !  "  with  his  usual  tender- 
ness, after  which  Mr.  Moody's  strong  sermon  on  "  The 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,"  &c,  commanded  the 
undivided  attention  of  the  audience  until  its  close. 
He  daily  gains  in  power ;  and  few  can  listen  to  his 
fervid  utterances  and  breathe  the  spirit  of  his  audiences 
without  exclaiming,  "  God  is  here  !  " 

The  evangelists  began  upon  the  third  week  of  their 
'  work  in  Boston  on  Sunday,  the  11th  of  February,  when 
five  meetings  of  profound  solemnity  were  held.  That 
in  the  afternoon  was  for  ladies,  that  in  the  evening  for 
men.  The  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  occupied  to-day 
the  pulpit  of  Mr.  Moody  in  Chicago.     The  desire  to 


MINISTERS   AT   THE  MEETING.  217 

hear  him  was  intense,  and  thousands  were  unable  to 
gain  admission  to  the  church. 

It  was  pleasant  to  see  at  the  evening  service,  Feb.  13, 
as  many  as  fifty  clergymen  seated  on  the  platform,  and 
listening  to  Mr.  Moody's  effective  sermon  on  "  The 
New  Birth."  More  eloquent  speakers  and  skilful 
singers  than  these  two  evangelists  we  have,  but  none 
that  so  gain  access  to  the  interior  chambers  of  the  heart, 
and  so  unseal  the  fountain  of  tears.  Mr.  Moody 
preached  a  very  practical  sermon  on  "  Faith,"  at  the 
afternoon  meeting,  Thursday  the  15th,  pleasantly  illus- 
trating one  point  by  referring  thus  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Gordon  :  — 

"  Some  say  they  are  so  constituted  they  cannot 
believe  God.  Away  with  that  delusion !  What  has 
your  constitution  to  do  with  it?  Suppose  Dr. 
Gordon  here  asked  me  to  take  dinner  with  him  to- 
morrow, and  I  said,  '  Doctor,  I'd  like  to,  but  I  don't 
know  that  I  can.'  — l  Why,  are  you  engaged  ? '  — '  No,' 
I  reply,  'but  I  don't  know  that  I  feel  just  right.'  — 
4  Don't  feel  just  right!  What  do  you  mean?  Don't 
you  want  to  come  to  dinner  with  me  ? '  says  Dr. 
Gordon.  '  Oh,  yes  ! '  I  say,  '  but  I  am  so  constituted  I 
can't  believe  you  want  t  me  to  come.'  [Laughter.] 
Ah !  you  laugh,  but  yet  that  is  what  people  are  doing 
when  they  say  they  are  so  constituted  that  they  can't 
believe  the  Eternal  God.  God  invites  you  to  the  feast, 
and  it  is  a  real  invitation.  If  God  sent  his  Son  down 
into  this  world,  and  didn't  give  you  power  to  believe, 


218  LIFE   OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

and  then  punished  you  eternally  for  not  believing  on 
him,  he  would  be  an  unjust  God.  But  God  doesn't 
do  that :  with  the  command  to  believe,  God  gives  you 
the  power." 

Mr.  Moody  is  remarkably  prompt  in  respect  to  every 
service,  —  commencing  and  closing  precisely  at  the 
time  appointed.  He  thus  not  only  inspires  confidence, 
but  sets  a  fine  example  to  dilatory  ministers  and  men 
of  business. 

On  Sunday  evening,  Feb.  18,  Mr.  Moody  repeated 
to  men  his  sermon  on  "  The  Compassion  of  our  Lord," 
which  he  had  given  in  the  afternoon  to  ladies.  The 
praise-meeting  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  E.  Tourjee 
was  admirably  conducted ;  and,  as  the  strains  of  music 
from  the  immense  congregation  rose  and  swelled  and 
died  away,  the  soul  had  some  sweet  foretaste  of  the 
harmonies  of  the  golden  shore.  The  praise-meeting  is 
an  admirable  feature  of  the  service.  In  his  own  church 
to-day  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mallalieu  preached  a  sermon  on 
"  The  Critics  of  the  Evangelists,"  during  which  he  said 
that  we  are  learning  by  this  revival  that  the  gospel 
may  be  preached  effectively  by  the  uneducated,  as  well 
as  by  learned  ministers ;  and  that  the  plain,  cheap 
Tabernacle,  with  the  Lord's  work  in  it,  is  solving  the 
question,  "  How  to  reach  the  masses  in  our  cities." 
Of  his  opponents  Mr.  Moody  takes  no  notice  ;  but, 
with  an  eye  single  to  his  Master's  service,  presses 
enthusiastically  on  his  way,  rejoicing  in  the  luxury  of 
doing  good. 


SERMONS   ON  HEAVEN.  219 

The  churches  are  alive,  and  "  evangelical  religion  in 
Boston,"  says  a  leading  journal,  "  never  presented  a 
bolder  front.  There  is  no  longer  any  doubt  as  to  the 
doctrines  held  by  the  revivalist.  He  is  an  out-and-out 
believer  in  the  ruined  state  of  man,  in  the  substitution 
of  the  blood  of  Christ  for  broken  law,  and  in  pardon 
gained  through  faith  in  him.  He  believes  in  the 
Trinity,  the  personality  of  the  Devil,  the  second  coming 
of  Christ,  the  salvation  of  those  believing  in  him,  and 
the  everlasting  punishment  of  those  rejecting  him.  He 
also  holds  that  conversion  is  instantaneous,  and  that 
good  works  follow  as  a  consequence." 

Mr.  Charles  M.  Sawyer,  a  reformed  inebriate  of 
Chicago  but  formerly  of  Boston,  is  rendering  him 
assistance  in  respect  to  temperance  ;  and  many  men  who 
have  renounced  strong  drink  are  among  the  trophies 
of  this  awakening. 

On  Feb.  20  Mr.  Moody  preached  his  famous  sermon 
on  "  Heaven,"  repeating  it  in  the  evening  to  an 
assembly  composed  largely  of  young  men.  The  service 
was  opened  by  the  Rev.  Robert  Lowry,  author  of 
"  Shall  we  gather  at  the  River  ?  "  and  other  beautiful 
hymns.  More  than  three  hundred  requests  for  prayer 
were  made  to-day ;  and  the  eyes  of  many  ministers,  of 
whom  there  might  have  been  one  hundred  present, 
were  filled  with  tears  at  the  reports  of  a  revival  of 
religion  in  many  of  the  churches.  The  inquiry-meet- 
ings are  now  kept  open  from  four  until  nine  o'clock, 
p.m.  ;  and  Christian  workers  are  busily  employed,  with 
the  Bible  in  hand,  leading  young  and  old  to  Jesus. 


220  LIFE  OF  DWIGIIT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

On  Wednesday  afternoon,  Feb.  21,  the  vast  assembly 
at  the  Tabernacle  listened  to  the  revivalist's  second 
great  sermon  on  "  Heaven,"  which  was  repeated  in  the 
evening.  Many  people  from  the  country  were  present, 
and  heard  for  the  first  time  the  celebrated  preacher. 
The  singing  was  inspiring  ;  and,  in  the  glowing  elo- 
quence of  the  evangelist,  all  forgot  the  characteristics 
of  his  style  or  diction.  It  is  the  subject,  sharply  de- 
fined, distinct,  and  luminous,  that  he  presents  to  the 
mind's  eye  of  "the  listener,  and  not  its  drapery  or  him- 
self. At  the  noon  meeting  Mr.  Sankey,  in  referring  to 
the  "living  water"  spoken  of  by  our  Saviour,  told  a 
little  story  of  a  girl  who  had  a  garden  and  in  it  beautiful 
flowers.  After  a  short  time,  however,  the  plants  began 
to  droop  and  fade,  and  gradually  they  died. 

"  Her  mother  upon  questioning  her  said,  '  Did  you 
water  the  plants,  my  child  ?  '  to  which  she  replied  that 
she  did,  and  took  the  water  from  a  spring  near  by. 
That  was  just  the  difficulty :  the  water,  being  cold  and 
clear  as  crystal,  had  eventually  chilled  the  flowers  and 
plants  so  that  they  perished. 

"  That  is  the  very  reason  why  many  of  our  works  are 
not  more  successful.  We  shed  abroad  this  cold  love 
of  ours,  and  it  has  the  same  effect  as  the  spring  water 
upon  the  flowers.  Let  us  set  it  in  the  sunlight  of 
righteousness,  and  then  apply  it,  and  notice  the  differ- 
ent result. 

"  Let  us  impart  more  life  to  our  works,  and  have  the 
word  in  the  heart  as  well  as  in  the  mouth." 


STORY  OF  MR.   SANKEY.  221 

The  sale  of  Bagster's  Bible  has  greatly  increased  this 
season  in  the  city,  while  that  of  the  "  Gospel  Hymns 
No.  2  "  by  Sankey  and  Bliss  has  been  immense. 

The  meetings  on  the  22d  were  largely  attended ;  and, 
it  being  the  birthday  of  Washington,  prayers  were 
offered  for  the  country.  The  singing  by  the  choir,  as 
well  as  Mr.  Sankey's  rendering  of  Mrs.  M.  A.  Kidder's 
fine  hymn  on  immortality-,  — 

11  We  shall  sleep,  but  not  forever: 

There  will  be  a  glorious  dawn,"  — 

was  deeply  impressive,  and  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
those  present.  The  Rev.  Charles  E.  Robinson,  author 
of  "  The  Songs  of  the  Sanctuary,"  made  an  eloquent 
address  during  the  closing  services. 

At  the  meeting  on  Friday  evening,  Mr.  Moody  in 
speaking  on  "  Grace  "  said,  "A  man  came  to  the  Taber- 
nacle Thursday  night  to  hear  Mr.  Sankey  sing.  When 
he  had  satisfied  himself,  he  wanted  to  go  out  before  the 
sermon ;  but  some  one  who  was  with  him  induced  him 
to  remain.  When  I  got  to  the  story  of  the  man  in 
Chicago  who  spent  twenty-one  thousand  dollars  and 
became  a  beggar,  the  Spirit  of  God  found  him  out.  I 
found  him  at  the  young  men's  meeting. 

"  When  I  had  told  him  how  he  could  be  saved,  he 
said,  i  I  wish  you  would  pray  for  a  brother-in-law  of 
mine.'  That  is  grace.  The  moment  a  man  becomes  a 
partaker,  he  wants  some  one  else  to  be  saved." 

With  Mr.  A.  S.  Ackers  at  the  organ  and  an  excellent 


222  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

choir,  Dr.  TourjeVs  praise-meeting  which  precedes  the 
regular  service  is  a  most  fitting  and  delightful  prepara- 
tion for  the  preaching  and  the  singing  of  the  gospel  by 
the  great  evangelists. 

On  Monday  evening,  Feb.  26,  a  grand  service  of  song 
was  held  at  the  Tabernacle,  which  was  filled  in  every 
part.  Dr.  Tourjee  led  the  choir,  consisting  of  more 
than  six  hundred  voices,  which  sung  the  fine  old  hymns 
witli  an  effect  truly  sublime.     Mr.  Sankey  said  :  — 

"I  believe  there  are  more  ways  than  one  of  praising 
God  in  singing.  There  are  many,  many  ways,  and  it  is 
not  exclusively  confined  to  singing  hymns.  Several 
hymns  are  put  under  the  head  c  Hymns  of  Praise,'  while 
there  is  no  praise  in  them  at  all.  As  to  singing  solos, 
I  am  convinced  that  this  kind  of  singing  is  not  thor- 
oughly understood  by  most  people.  If  I  were  to  come 
here  and  sing  a  solo  of  some  of  these  songs,  there  would 
be  no  praise  in  them  ;  but  yet  your  prayers  often  recite, 
'  As  we  join  together  to  sing  His  praises,  may  his  bless- 
ings descend  upon  the  preaching  of  his  word  in  song.' 

"  Now,  there  is  praising  and  teaching  and  preaching 
in  song ;  but  these  missions  of  song  are  not  fully 
understood.  Take  the  hymns  *  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
passeth  by,'  and  '  What  shall  the  Harvest  be  ?  '  they 
are  called  hymns  of  praise  often  ;  and  yet  there  is  not 
a  word  of  praise  in  them.  They  are  teaching  hymns  ; 
but  l  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow,'  is  a 
hymn  of  praise.  I  suppose  many  have  wondered  why 
I  have  sung   alone.     They  have  thought,  4  He  cannot 


SERVICE  OF  SONG.  223 

offer  up  praise  for  all  these  people.'  Well,  I  sing 
alone  because  I  believe  that  I  may  reach  some  heart 
that  could  not  be  reached  by  the  congregational  sing- 
ing. I  praise  God  to-night  that  he  has  blessed  our 
service  of  song." 

Brief  addresses  were  made  by  the  Revs.  W.  O. 
Holman  and  H.  M.  Parsons ;  the  congregation  sung, 
"  Trusting  Jesus,  that  is  all." 

Mr.  Sankey  closed  the  musical  services  by  singing  in 
his  own  sympathetic  style,  "  Waiting  and  Watching 
for  me." 

In  speaking  of  the  noon  meeting,  which  was  very 
large,  at  the  Tabernacle  on  Tuesday  the  27th,  the 
"  Evening  Traveller  "  says,  — 

•"  Notwithstanding  the  inevitable  '  sameness  '  of  the 
exercises,  the  crowds  still  press  onward  to  the  Taber- 
nacle to  hear  the  l  word  '  presented  by  Mr.  Moody,  and 
the  '  goodness  of  his  grace '  sung  by  his  companion. 
This  blunt  man,  with  his  wonderful  store  of  the  richest 
gems  of  thought,  still  brings  men  to  a  more  complete 
realization  of  their  own  sinfulness  ;  and  the  multitudes 
sit  entranced  by  the  almost  magic  music  of  the  singer, 
as  at  the  commencement  of  the  religious  movement  in 
this  city." 

Many  instances  of  conversion  have  occurred  under 
the  influence  of  the  sympathetic  singing  of  Mr.  Sankey. 
One  young  lad}^,  leaning  her  head  upon  her  mother's 
shoulder  during  the  execution  of  one  of  his  touching 
melodies,    said,    while    the    tears    were    fast    falling, 


224  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

"  Mother,  I  can  hold  out  no  longer :  I  will  be  a  Chris- 
tian." 

In  his  able  sermon  on  "  Excuses,"  Feb.  28,  Mr. 
Moody  said,  "  I  was  over  at  the  young  converts'  meet- 
ing Monday  evening,  and  heard  them  tell  of  their  joy 
and  happiness.  Well,  my  good  friend,  after  you  be- 
come a  Christian  you  can  talk  about  happiness.  You 
want  a  Christian's  experience  before  you  become  a 
Christian  ;  that  is  the  trouble  :  and  you  are  looking  for 
their  experience  before  you  have  taken  God  at  his  word. 

"  I  met  an  excuse  in  the  inquiry-room  the  other  day ; 
in  fact,  it  was  quite  common :  '  I  would  not  like  to  be 
converted,  Mr.  Moody,  in  the  time  of  a  revival.'  If  it 
is  really  a  bona  fide  excuse,  you  can  jump  on  the  train, 
and  drop  off  at  some  country  town  where  there  is  no 
revival ;  and  if  you  cannot  go  out  of  town  I  think  we 
can  find  some  churches  in  Boston  where  there  is  no 
revival.  I  don't  care  where  you  find  Christ,  as  long  as 
you  find  him.  If  you  come  to  us  we  will  try  and  hunt 
you  up  some  church  where  they  haven't  had  any  revi- 
val for  years,  if  you  really  want  to  become  a  Christian." 

Miss  Frances  E.  Willard,  a  lady  of  rare  accomplish- 
ments, conducts  efficiently  the  ladies'  meetings  held  at 
one  o'clock,  p.m.,  in  a  church  near  the  Tabernacle. 

The  question  is  often  proposed,  '*  How  is  this  un- 
lettered speaker,  ignorant  of  the  arts  of  eloquence,  thus 
able  to  command  the  attention  of  the  largest  audiences, 
and  produce  such  wonderful  results  ?  Whitefield, 
Wesley,   Finney,  had  learning  to  sustain  them  :    how 


ELEMENTS   OF   HIS   POWER.  225 

does  Mr,  Moody  produce  without  it  such  impressions  ? 
What  is  the  lever  by  which  he  moves  the  world  ?  " 

Under  a  human  point  of  view,  the  secret  of  his  power 
consists,  it  may  be,  in  a  felicitous  combination  of  these 
several  characteristics  :  — 

1.  He  uses  simple  Saxon  language.  He  knows  no 
other.  His  words  are  household  words,  plain,  homely, 
pertinent.  They  present  his  thought  precisely  as  it  is, 
unshaded  by  the  diction.  The  hearer  takes  his  mean- 
ing without  thinking  of  the  form  in  which  it  comes  to 
him.  The  words  are  Bible  words,  familiar  to  us  from 
our  infancy.  The  idea  shines  through  them  as  the 
light  through  crystal.  Perhaps  no  man  since  Bunyan 
has  presented  grand  religious  truths  in  plainer  drapery. 
A  child  may  understand  him ;  and  yet  the  learned  are 
frequently  astonished  at  his  sharp,  trenchant,  and 
original  expressions.  A  friend  of  mine  once  took  a 
dictionary  with  him  to  church,  in  order  to  find  out  the 
meaning  of  the  minister.  Mr.  Moody's  language  is  not 
that  of  science  or  theology,  but  of  business  and  the 
Bible.     This  is  one  point. 

2.  But  Mr.  Moody  is  in  the  higher  sense  a  poet.  He 
has  not  made  rhymes  or  verse ;  and  yet  he  has  the 
glowing  conceptions  of  a  poet.  He  sees  things  vividly, 
he  paints  them  vividly.  His  use  of  tropes  and  meta- 
phors, to  be  sure,  is  but  infrequent ;  yet  at  times  he 
manifests  Shaksperian  power  in  the  representation  of 
actual  or  imaginary  scenes.  Take  for  example,  as  one 
instance  out  of  thousands,  a  description  of  a  scene  of 


226  LIFE  OF  DWIGHT   LYMAN  MOODY. 

sorrow,  in  a  sermon  preached  at  Brattleboro,  Vt,  Oct. 
5,  1875 :  "  One  of  my  little  scholars  was  drowned ; 
and  word  was  sent  by  the  mother  that  she  wanted  to 
see  me.  I  went.  The  dripping  body  was  there  on  the 
table.  The  husband  was  in  the  corner  drunk.  The 
mother  said  she  had  no  money  to  buy  a  shroud  or 
coffin,  and  wanted  to  know  if  I  could  not  bury  Adeline. 
I  consented."  What  could  be  more  graphic,  or  better 
fitted  for  the  pencil  of  a  painter  ?  Mr.  Moody  is  matter- 
of-fact,  to  be  sure  ;  but  still  he  has  a  grand  imagination. 

3.  His  persistent  study  of  the  Bible  forms  another 
element  of  his  power  as  a  preacher.  He  pores  over  the 
pages  of  the  sacred  volume,  not  through  the  spectacles 
of  some  learned  commentator,  but  with  his  own  ob- 
servant eye  comparing  passage  with  passage,  and  text 
with  context.  He  makes  the  Bible  interpret  the  Bible. 
He  traces  out  a  line  of  thought  in  it,  as  the  miner  a 
vein  of  gold  through  the  rock-bed  of  the  mountain. 
He  is  emphatically  a  man  of  oxe  book,  and  that  the 
soul-rousing,  the  soul-sustaining  book  of  the  ages. 
His  intellect  has  been  nurtured,  quickened,  and  magne- 
tized by  this  word ;  his  weapons  are  drawn  from  this 
word ;  his  positions  are  fortified  by  this  word ;  his  plans 
are  formed  upon  this  word  ;  and  this  is  another  reason 
why  he  speaks  with  such  convincing  power. 

It  is  surprising  to  mark  his  familiarity  with  the 
Scriptures.  They  have  been,  as  with  David,  his  medi- 
tation day  and  night.  Their  contents  are  engraven  on 
his  heart.     His  revelation  of  their  meaning  shows  aa 


ELEMENTS   OF  HIS   POWER.  227 

well  to-day  as  when  inspiration  dictated  them  that  they 
are  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  When  a  clerk  in 
a  shoe-store  in  Chicago,  and  long  ere  he  was  known  or 
thought  of  as  a  preacher,  Mr.  Moody  used,  after  spend- 
ing the  evening  in  joyous  recreation,  to  retire  to  his 
bed  with  his  Bible  in  his  hand,  and  read  and  pray  him- 
self to  sleep.  He  has  since  made  it  the  intimate  com- 
panion of  his  life,  —  studying  it  by  night  and  by  day, 
and  drawing  from  it  the  enginery  whereby  he  breaks 
the  strongholds  of  the  adversary.  His  sermons  on  the 
study  of  the  Bible  indicate  the  origin  of  a  great  deal  of 
his  intellectual  strength. 

4.  Enthusiasm  in  his  work  has  much  to  do  with  his 
success.  He  has  a  great  warm,  loving,  and  unselfish 
heart.  It  is  in  profoundest  sympathy  with  the  suffer- 
ings of  humanity.  He  sees  in  every  man,  however  poor 
and  penniless,  a  brother,  and  he  would  help  him  bear 
his  burden.  He  is  never  so  happy  as  when  lifting 
some  abject,  hopeless  mortal  to  a  higher  plane  in  life. 
His  heart  is  a  fountain  of  sympathy,  not  pent  up  by 
fear  and  formalism,  but  open,  free,  redundant.  He 
believes  in  his  mission  ;  he  glories  in  it.  With  him 
Christ  is  a  reality,  life  is  a  reality,  heaven  is  a  reality. 
He  is  on  a  battlefield  with  the  foe  before  him :  the  guns 
are  pealing ;  he  smells  the  fire  ;  he  sees  the  blood ; 
he  hears  the  peal  of  victory.  Abstractions  with  him  go 
for  nothing :  he  takes  God  at  his  word,  grasps  the 
tremendous  issues  of  the  future,  and  speaks  of  them  as 
present,  actual,  living  verities.     Hence  he  is,  because  so 


228  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT   LYMAN   MOODY. 

fixed  in  faith,  making  it  the  very  "  substance  of  things 
hoped  for,"  profoundly  earnest  and  enthusiastic.  With 
his  own  spirit  thus  enkindled,  he  electrifies  the  spirits 
of  those  who  hear  him. 

5.  He  has  also,  as  a  check  to  his  enthusiasm,  an 
ample  fund  of  good,  sound  common  sense,  so  that,  while 
the  ardor  of  many  revivalists  leads  them  into  fanaticism, 
he  is,  in  the  main,  self-possessed,  and  adopts  such 
methods  as  commend  themselves  to  the  good  judg- 
ment of  the  people.  "  Common  sense,"  says  a  writer, 
"  stamps  all  his  earnestness  and  all  Ins  plans ;  and  this 
wins  in  a  remarkable  manner  all  who  come  in  contact 
with  him.  Whatever  else  may  be  said  of  him,  no  one 
can  call  him  a  fanatic ;  and  this  gives  to  his  steady,  in- 
vincible, untiring  self-sacrifice  such  irresistible  power." 

6.  Though  not  prepossessing  in  his  voice  or  gesture, 
Mr.  Moody  is  intensely  natural.  This  is  of  great  ad- 
vantage to  him  as  a  speaker.  He  is  just  such  a  rugged, 
whole-souled,  unaffected  man  as  nature  made  him. 
There  is  no  study,  no  art,  no  pretension  at  all  about 
him.  He  never  stood  before  a  glass  to  practise  attitude 
or  gesticulation ;  he  never  stopped  to  ask  himself  the 
question,  " Is  this  movement  graceful,  or  ungraceful?" 
He  never  drew,  perhaps  never  saw,  Hogarth's  Line  of 
Beauty.  He  is  intensely  natural,  —  a  little  rough 
sometimes  it  may  be,  but  characteristic,  forceful,  and 
original. 

7.  It  may  also  be  added,  that,  in  speaking.  Mr.  Moody's 
rapidity  of  utterance  —  it  being  often  at  the  rate  of  two 


MANNER.  229 

hundred  and  twenty  words  per  minute  —  tends  to  keep 
up  the  interest  of  the  audience.  The  Revs.  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  Phillips  Brooks,  and  other  eminent  speakers, 
well  understand  the  effect  produced  by  quick  enuncia- 
tion. By  the  mere  velocity  of  Mr.  Moody's  tongue 
something  is  doubtless  done  to  disarm  criticism,  and 
to  deepen  the  intensity  of  feeling  in  the  assembly. 

8.  Still  with  all  these  varied  elements  —  simplicity  of 
diction,  a  vivid  imagination,  long  study  of  the  Bible, 
enthusiasm  in  his  work,  good  sterling  common  sense, 
naturalness  and  rapidity  of  speech  —  combining,  it  were 
not  easy  to  account  for  his  wonderful  ability  to  sway 
the  minds  and  change  the  intents  and  purposes  of  the 
hearts  of  such  vast  multitudes  of  men.  Another  and 
a  higher  element  must  be  acknowledged.  What  is  it  ? 
Not  man  alone,  not  the  Bible,  nor  the  manner  of  pre- 
senting its  sublime  instructions,  but  the  Spirit  of  the 
living  God,  co-operating  specially  with  the  spirit  of  the 
speaker,  and  preparing  the  minds  of  those  that  hear  for 
the  reception  of  the  truth.  This  untutored  evangelist 
is  a  man  of  prayer.  He  has  drunk  deeply  of  the  hid- 
den wisdom  of  God;  the  mantle  of  inspiration  has 
fallen  upon  him ;  and  the  doctors  of  the  law,  as  well  as 
the  common  people,  sit  and  weep  and  wonder  at  his 
feet.  Did  the  High  and  Holy  One  cease  to  dwell  in 
the  hearts  of  men  when  the  canon  of  the  gospel  was 
completed  ?  May  Ave  not,  then,  admit  that  over  and 
above  and  through  the  points  referred  to,  his  special 
presence  is  the  real,  the  efficient  cause  of  the  surpris- 


230  LIFE   OF   DWIGHT    LYMAN   MOODY. 

ing  influence  that  Mr.  Moody  exerts  upon  the  hearts 
and  consciences  of  men  ?  "  The  Holy  Ghost  is  here 
in  power,*'  says  he ;  and  this  alone  is  the  solution  of  the 
problem.  "God  is  with  me:  this  is  all  the  strength  I 
have,"  he  says  again;  and  herein  is  the  real  secret  of 
his  might. 

In  person  Mr.  Moody  is  of  medium  size,  thick-set 
and  compactly  built,  with  broad  shoulders,  a  round 
head,  ruddy  face,  and  short  neck.  His  eyes  are  dark 
and  piercing ;  his  nose  is  very  well  formed ;  but  his 
mouth  is  wanting  that  fine  classic  finish  which  bespeaks 
the  orator.  He  wears  a  long,  full  beard,  which,  though 
it  may  improve  his  looks,  is  detrimental  to  his  speech. 
He  dresses  plainly,  in  the  style  of  a  man  of  business. 
His  voice  is  somewhat  shrill  and  husky,  his  articula- 
tion indistinct ;  yet  his  lungs  are  powerful,  and  he 
easily  succeeds  in  making  himself  heard  by  as  many  as 
ten  thousand  people.  His  unstudied  gestures  are  some- 
times quite  forcible,  and  his  attitudes  often  lead  one  to 
suppose  him  utterly  unconscious  of  the  audience  before 
him. 


A  SKETCH 


LIFE  OF  IRA  DAVID  SANKEY. 


£5*^ 


IRA  D.  SANKEY. 

HIS  BIRTH  AND  BOYHOOD.  —EDUCATION.  —  MISSION. 

Birth.  —  Education.  — Love  of  Music.  — Religious  Impressions.  — Con- 
version. —  Unites  with  the  Church.  —  Superintendent  of  Sunday 
School,  and  Class  Leader.  —  Study  of  the  Bible.  —  Army  Life.  — 
Connection  -with  the  Revenue  Service. — His  Character. — Sings  in 
Conventions.  —  President  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

—  Meets  Mr.  Moody.  —  Consents  to  labor  with  him.  —  Singing  in 
Chicago. —His  Manner  and  Motives. —A  Touching  Story.  —  Takes 
Charge  of  the  Service  at  the  Tabernacle.  —  His  only  Hymn.  —  Visits 
Great  Britain.  —  Overcomes  Prejudice.  —  His  Singing  popular.  — 
Effects  of  his  Music.  —  In  the  Highlands.  —  Opinion  of  an  Edin- 
burgh Journalist.  —  Of  Another  Writer.  —  Popularity  of  Certain 
Songs.  —  Theatre  and  Circus,  London.  —  "  Xinety  and  Nine."  —  His 
Singing  at  Brooklyn;  at  Philadelphia.  — His  Views  of  Church  Music. 

—  His  Singing  at  Xew  York.  —  Address  at  the  Close.  —  Gospel  Songs 
No.  2.  —  Singing  in  Boston. — A  Prayer  for  Song. — Mr.  Sankey's 
Tact  and  Power.  —  Remarks  of  ' '  The  Inter-Ocean ; "  of  Mrs.  Barbour. 

—  Mr.  Sankey's  Personal  Appearance.  — An  Address  to  him  by  Mr. 
Caverly. 

"  Speaking  to  yourselves  in  psalms  and  hyrnns  and  spiritual  songs,  singing  and 
making  melody  in  your  heart  to  the  Lord."  —  St.  Paul. 

"  A  verse  may  win  him  whom  the  gospel  flies, 
And  turn  delight  into  a  sacrifice."  —  George  Herbert. 

"  Music  speaks  the  heart's  emotion, 
Music  tells  the  soul's  devotion ; 
Music  heavenly  harps  employs, 
Music  wakens  heavenly  joys."  —  AxoH. 

The  delightful   and   effective   singer  and  composer 
Ira  David   Sankey  was  born   in  the   little  village    of 

233 


234  LITE  OF  IRA  DAVID   SANKEY. 

Edinburgh,  Lawrence  County,  Penn.,  on  the  twenty- 
eighth  day  of  August,  1840,  and  is  therefore  at  the  pres- 
ent time  thirty-six  years  old.  His  parents,  David  and 
Mary  Sankey,  the  former  of  English,  and  the  latter  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent,  are  respectable  and  pious  people. 
They  brought  up  their  children  —  nine  in  number  —  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  They  taught 
them  also  how  to  speak  our  language  with  propriety. 
In  early  boyhood  Ira  began  to  manifest  a  love  for 
sacred  music,  and  the  sweetness  of  his  voice  was 
•  noticed  in  the  sabbath  school  which  he  attended.  He 
had  a  pleasant  disposition,  an  engaging  manner,  and  a 
bright,  sunny  smile,  which  won  the  hearts  of  all  who 
knew  him.  "  He  was,"  says  one  of  his  companions, 
"  the  finest  little  fellow  in  the  neighborhood."  His 
attention  to  the  subject  of  personal  religion,  as  he  him- 
self relates,  was  first  awakened  by  an  old  Scottish 
farmer  of  the  name  of  Frazer,  living  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. "  The  very  first  recollection  I  have  of  any 
thing  pertaining  to  a  holy  life,"  said  Mr.  Sankey  in 
addressing  a  company  of  children  in  the  city  of  Dundee, 
Scotland,  "was  in  connection  with  that  man.  I  re- 
member he  took  me  by  the  hand,  along  with  his  own 
boys,  to  the  sabbath  school,  —  that  old  place  which  I 
shall  remember  to  my  dying  day.  He  was  a  plain  man, 
and  I  can  see  him  standing  up  and  praying  for  the  chil- 
dren. He  had  a  great,  warm  heart,  and  the  children  all 
loved  him.  It  was  years  after  that  when  I  was  con- 
verted ;  but  my  impressions  were  received  when  I  was 
very  young,  from  that  man." 


UNITES   WITH   THE   CHURCH.  235 

On  attaining  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  began  to 
compose  tunes  for  his  own  amusement;  and  he  was 
soon  after  led  during  a  revival  of  religion  in  Edin- 
burgh, by  the  entreaties  of  an  old  steward  of  the  church, 
to  consecrate  himself  entirely  to  the  service  of  the 
Lord.  This  brought  to  him  that  peace  of  mind  which 
passeth  understanding.  Not  long  afterwards  his  father 
removed  with  his  family  to  the  large  town  of  New- 
castle, Penn.,  where  the  young  singer  had  the  benefit 
of  some  academical  instruction,  and  obtained  the  rudi- 
ments of  a  useful  English  education.  He  also  became 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  made 
the  word  of  God  and  sacred  music  his  chief  study  ;  and 
the  tones  of  his  sweet,  silvery  voice  in  the  songs  of 
devotion  attracted  many  people  to  the  house  of  wor- 
ship. Such  was  the  beauty  of  his  Christian  life,  such 
his  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  that  in  1859  the  church 
appointed  him  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school, 
and  subsequently  a  class-leader.  In  training  the  voices 
of  his  school  to  sing,  his  own  musical  taste  was  im- 
proved, his  reputation  as  a  vocalist  extended  ;  while 
his  discussions  as  a  class-leader  with  those  older  than 
himself  led  him  to  a  closer  examination  of  the  sacred 
volume.  "  Tell  me  your  condition,"  said  he  to  his 
beloved  class,  "in  Bible  language.  The  Scriptures 
abound  in  accounts  of  religious  feeling  of  all  descrip- 
tions. There  is  no  state  of  grace  which  may  not  be 
described  by  a  text."  As  a  leader  of  the  choir,  he 
insisted  on  the   proper  deportment  of  the  singers,  as 


236  LIFE   OF   IEA   DAVID   BANKET. 

well  as  on  the  correct  expression  of  the  sentiment  of 
the  hymn.  He  believed  that  song  was  intended  for  the 
dissemination  of  the  gospel ;  and  he  early  began  to  sing 
solos  for  this  purpose.  In  this  way  he  was  making 
preparation,  though  unconsciously,  for  the  glorious 
work  in  which  he  is  now  engaged. 

On  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  in  1861,  for  men 
to  sustain  the  Government,  Mr.  Sankey  was  among  the 
first  in  Newcastle  to  have  his  name  enrolled  as  a  soldier. 
He  remained  in  the  army,  enlivening  the  camp  and 
endearing  his  companions  to  him  by  the  sweetness  of 
his  music  and  his  temper,  until  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service,  when  he  returned  to  Newcastle  to  assist 
his  father  in  his  office  as  collector  of  the  revenue. 
"  In  the  civil  service,  as  in  other  departments  of  labor," 
says  one  who  knew  him  intimately,  "  he  was  noted  for 
conscientiousness,  and  patient,  faithful  attention  to 
duty.  In  his  rank  he  stood  first  in  the  district,  and 
had  the  entire  confidence  of  all  the  officers  and  tax- 
payers with  whom  he  had  official  dealings.  In  his  long 
connection  with  the  service,  there  were  never  known 
any  irregularities  in  his  accounts,  or  any  loss  to  the 
government.  On  this  account  he  left  the  service  with 
honor  and  with  the  regret  of  those  who  were  asso- 
ciated with  him." 

On  the  9th  of  September,  1863,  he  married  Miss 
Edwards,  a  member  of  the  church,  a  singer  in  his  choir, 
and  a  teacher  in  his  sabbath  school.  She  is  an  estimable 
woman,  and  the  mother  of  three  sons;  of  whom  Henry, 


MEETS  MR.   MOODY.  237 

the  oldest,  is  now  beginning  to  assist  his  father  in  his 
evangelism.     One  of  the  children  was  born  in  Scotland. 

While  engaged  in  the  civil  service,  Mr.  Sankey  found 
many  opportunities,  especially  in  the  way  of  sacred 
song,  to  labor  for  his  Lord  and  Master.  His  fame  as  a 
singer  had  spread  through  Western  Pennsylvania,  and 
invitation  after  invitation  crowded  in  upon  him  to 
attend  conventions,  conferences,  and  other  public 
gatherings,  for  the  purpose  of  singing  his  beautiful 
solos,  and  of  leading  other  voices  in  song.  These 
invitations  he  generally  accepted,  believing  that  the 
gospel  should  be  sung  as  well  as  preached;  yet  his 
rule  was  never  to  receive  any  compensation  for  his 
services. 

He  had  not  studied  music  scientifically,  or  even  as  an 
art.  His  intention  had  never  been  to  make  the  practice 
of  it  a  profession  ;  but  he  saw  in  it  a  mighty  force  for 
the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer. 
He  consecrated  his  power  of  song,  as  every  other  gift, 
entirely  to  that  noble  cause,  and  God  has  wonderfully 
blessed  the  consecration. 

Some  time  in  the  early  part  of  1867,  a  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  was,  through  the  activity  of  Mr. 
Sankey  and  other  gentlemen,  formed  in  Newcastle,  of 
which  he  subsequently  was  elected  president.  Through 
this  institution  his  Christian  influence  was  extended, 
and  he  became  instrumental  in  leading  many  by  his 
voice  of  prayer  and  praise  into  a  Christian  life.     The 


238       •  LIFE  OF  IRA  DAVID   BANKET. 

acquaintance  between  him  and  Mr.  Moody  began  in 
June,  1870,  at  an  international  convention  held  in 
Indianapolis,  to  which  he  had  been  sent  as  a  delegate. 
The  singing  at  an  early  morning  prayer-meeting  being 
intolerably  dull,  Mr.  Sankey  was  invited  to  take 
charge  of  it.  Coming  forward  modestly,  he  complied 
with  the  request ;  and  such  was  the  charm  of  his 
manner,  such  were  the  sympathetic  and  flexible  tones 
of  his  voice,  varying  so  as  to  express  every  emotion 
of  the  soul,  such  were  the  freshness,  tenderness,  and 
beauty  of  his  songs,  that  every  heart  was  won.  Though 
ignorant  of  music,  Mr.  Moodv  understands  full  well  its 
power  ;  and  he  saw  in  Mr.  Sankey  just  the  man  whom 
he  had  long  been  searching  for  to  aid  him  in  his  work. 
On  being  introduced  to  the  sweet  singer,  he  said  to  him 
in  his  characteristic  way,  — 

"  Where  do  you  live  ?  " 

"  In  Newcastle,  Penn.,*'  Mr.  Sankey  answered. 

"  Are  you  married  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

"  How  many  children  have  you  ?  " 

4  One." 

"  I  want  you." 

«  What  for  ?  " 

"  To  help  me  in  my  work  at  Chicago." 

"I  cannot  leave  my  business." 

"  You  must :  I  have  been  looking  for  you  for  the  last 
eight  years.  You  must  give  up  your  business,  and  come 
to  Chicago  with  me." 


SINGING  IN  CHICAGO.  239 

" 1  will  think  of  it,"  replied  Mr.  Sankey.  "I  will 
pray  over  it ;  I  will  talk  it  over  with  my  wife." 

The  result  was  that  the  singer  of  Newcastle,  after 
prayer  and  consultation  with  his  wife,  determined  to 
identify  his  interests  with  those  of  Mr.  Moody,  to  live 
with  him  the  life  of  trust,  and  enter  on  the  work  of 
evangelization  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  In  this  almost 
romantic  way  commenced  that  Christian  fellowship 
between  these  two  gifted  servants  of  the  Lord,  which 
the  toils  and  trials  of  six  long  years  have  cemented  as 
a  bond  that  death  alone  can  sever. 

Although  Mr.  Philip  Phillips,  author  of  "  I  love  to 
sing  for  Jesus,"  and  other  beautiful  tunes,  had  in  some 
measure  prepared  the  people  of  Chicago  to  listen  to  the 
"  solo  singing  of  the  gospel,"  still  many  supposed  it  an 
unscriptural  innovation ;  yet  such  was  the  melody,  the 
flexibility,  and  pathetic  charm  of  Mr.  Sankey's  voice, 
that  opposition  soon  changed  to  admiration,  and  his 
services  soon  came  to  be  justly  appreciated  by  the 
clergy  and  the  churches.  He  entered  heart  and  soul 
into  the  missionary  work  of  Mr.  Moody,  and  led  the 
great  congregation  and  sabbath  school  in  his  church,  as 
well  as  at  Farwell  Hall,  in  the  service  of  song,  giving 
it  life  and  variety  by  intermingling  with  the  mighty 
choruses  some  touching  strain,  as,  "  Sweet  Hour  of 
Prayer,"  "  He  leadeth  me,"  or,  "  I  love  to  tell  the 
Story,"  sung  tenderly  and  touchingly  by  himself  alone. 

These  hallowed  and  refreshing  songs,  rising  sweetly 
at  the  close  of  some  earnest  appeal  of  Mr.  Moody's, 


240  LIFE   OF   IRA   DAVID   SAX  KEY. 

would  melt  the  audience  into  tears :  and  amidst  the 
profoundest  feeling  every  tone  would  touch  the  heart, 
as  if  an  angel's  wing  were  sweeping  over  it.  Mr. 
Sankey  sings,  not  for  money  nor  for  reputation,  but  for 
the  lofty  purpose  of  winning  men  to  Christ.  He  be- 
lieves in  the  power  of  song  to  do  this.  His  songs  are 
Bible  songs :  he  puts  his  soul,  and  that  an  inspired  soul, 
into  them.  He  makes  the  music  all  subservient  to  the 
sentiment,  and  so,  by  its  heavenly  ministry,  fixes  it  in 
the  listener's  mind.  Though  not  an  artist,  he  sings 
with  such  excellent  taste  that  the  cultivated  ear  re- 
ceives his  simple  melodies  with  delight.  The  gospel 
in  song  thus  becomes  more  charming  and  potential  in 
its  sway.  He  himself  relates  a  most  touching  instance 
of  its  influence  :  — 

"  During  the  winter  after  the  great  Chicago  fire, 
when  the  place  was  built  up  with  little  frame  houses 
for  the  poor  people  to  stay  in,  a  mother  sent  for  me  one 
day,  to  come  and  see  her  little  child,  who  was  one  of 
our  sabbath-school  scholars.  I  remembered  her  very 
well,  having  seen  her  in  the  meetings,  and  was  glad  to 
go.  She  was  lying  in  one  of  these  poor  little  huts, 
every  thing  having  been  burned  in  the  fire.  I  ascer- 
tained that  she  was  past  all  hopes  of  recovery,  and  that 
they  were  waiting  for  the  little  one  to  pass  away. 
4  How  is  it  with  you  to-day  ?  '  I  asked.  With  a  beauti- 
ful smile  on  her  face,  she  said,  '  It  is  all  well  with  me 
to-day.  I  wish  you  would  speak  to  my  father  and 
mother.'  —  ■  But."   said   I,  'are   you   a   Christian?'  — 


A   TOUCHING  STORY.  241 

'  Yes.'  — c  When  did  you  become  one  ?•' —  'Do  you  re- 
member last  Thursday  in  the  Tabernacle,  when  we  had 
that  little  singing  meeting,  and  you  sung,  "  Jesus  loves 
even  me"?'1-'"  Yes.'  — 4  It  was  last  Thursday  I 
believed  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  now  I  am  going  to  be 
with  him  to-day.' 

"  That  testimony  from  that  little  child  in  that  neg- 
lected quarter  of  Chicago  has  done  more  to  stimulate 
me,  and  bring  me  to  this  country  [Scotland],  than  all 
that  the  papers  or  any  persons  might  say.  I  remember 
the  joy  I  had  in  looking  upon  that  beautiful  face.  She 
went  up  to  heaven,  and  no  doubt  said  she  learned  upon 
the  earth  that  Jesus  loved  her,  from  that  little  hymn. 
If  you  want  to  enjoy  a  blessing,  go  to  the  bedsides  of 
these  bedridden  and  dying  ones,  and  sing  to.  them  of 
Jesus,  for  they  cannot  enjoy  these  meetings  as  you  do. 
You  will  get  a  great  blessing  to  your  own  soul." 

When  the  conflagration  in  October,  1871,  had  swept 
away  that  section  of  Chicago  where  the  two  evangelists 
were  laboring,  Mr.  Sankey  returned  to  his  home  at  New- 
castle ;  but  as  soon  as  the  rude  Tabernacle  was  erected 
he  came  back,  and,  lodging  in  a  small  room  in  the  build- 
ing, assisted  Mr.  Moody  in  supplying  the  wants  of  the 
destitute,  and  in  carrying  on  the  mission  work  in  that 
quarter.  It  was  at  that  period  that  the  touching  inci- 
dent just  given  occurred;  and  by  it  Mr.  Sankey's  soul 

1  The  words  and  music  of  this  beautiful  song  are  by  the  late  lamented 
P.  P.  Bliss,  killed  by  the  railway  accident  at  the  bridge  over  the  Ashta- 
bula River  in  Ohio,  Dec.  29, 187G. 


242  LIFE  OF   IPwA   DAVID   BANKET. 

was  moved  to  make  a  profounder  consecration  of  its 
powers  to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  He  not  only  sung, 
but  spoke  and  prayed,  for  the  conversion  of  the  people  ; 
he  selected  Bible  hymns  or  "  spiritual  songs  "  of  ster- 
ling merit;  he  adapted  them  to  lively  music,  sometimes 
of  his  own  composing ;  he  encouraged  others  to  com- 
pose; he  conducted  meetings,  leading  in  all  the  services 
himself ;  and,  during  Mr.  Moody's  visit  to  England  in 
the  spring  of  1872,  he  took  charge  of  the  work  and 
worship  at  the  Tabernacle.  On  his  return  Mr.  Moody 
found  him  cherishing  the  same  Biblical  spirit  which  he 
himself  had  imbibed  in  England  ;  and  thev  both,  as  fit- 
ting  counterparts  in  sweet  accordance,  toiled  together, 
comforting  and  reviving  many  churches.  In  the  mean 
time  Mr.  Sankey,  with  remarkable  good  taste,  was  select- 
ing from  the  new  stores  of  hymnology  and  revival  tunes 
such  spirited  and  popular  pieces  as  would  best  pro- 
mote his  evangelical  work.  In  addition  to  the  beautiful 
airs  of  Bradbury,  Lowry,  Main,  Root,  Grape,  Phillips, 
Doane,  and  Bliss,  he  composed  many  excellent  tunes 
himself ;  and  with  the  fine  lyrics  of  Annie  S.  Hawks, 
Fanny  J.  Crosby,  Lydia  Baxter,  Prof.  Gilmore,  Ellen 
H.  Gates,  Anna  Warner,  Kate  Hankey,  Mrs.  Bliss,  and 
others,  had,  as  it  were,  a  stock  of  sacred  songs  adapted 
to  almost  every  exigence.  His  voice,  which  is  a  rich 
baritone,  was  constantly  gaining  power,  and  no  singer 
ever  better  than  he  knew  how  to  suit  his  music  to  the 
time  and  the  occasion.  The  composition  of  hymns  he 
does  not  consider  within  his  sphere  ;  yet  u  For  me,  for 


VISITS   GREAT   BRITAIN.  243 

me,"  the  only  one  of  his  that  has  been  published,  indi- 
cates that  he  is  endowed  with  poetical  as  well  as  musi- 
cal ability.  Among  his  tunes,  "  The  Ninety  and  Nine," 
to  words  of  Miss  E.  C.  Clephane,  is  perhaps  the  most 
popular. 

Mr.  Sankey  with  his  family  accompanied  Mr.  Moody 
in  his  remarkable  evangelistic  tour  through  Great 
Britain,  and  assisted  him  materially  in  producing  that 
grand  awakening  which  filled  all  Christendom  with 
surprise.  It  was  feared  at  first  that  his  new  style  of 
songs,  his  solo  singing,  and  his  melodeon,  would  meet 
with  great  opposition  on  the  part  of  Christians,  espe- 
cially in  Scotland,  where  Rouse's  rough  version  of  the 
Psalms  and  the  plain  old  tunes  had  become  so  deeply 
imbedded  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  But  the  Ameri- 
can minstrel  put  so  much  of  his  soul  and  of  the  gos- 
pel into  his  song  that  he  soon  overcame  all  prejudice, 
and  made  himself  the  most  popular  sacred  singer  in 
the  United  Kingdom.  In  passing  from  Southampton 
through  mid-England,  in  the  summer  of  1875,  the 
writer  was  surprised,  as  well  as  delighted,  to  see  the 
songs  of  Mr.  Sankey  in  various  forms  for  sale  at  almost 
every  station,  and  to  hear  them  sung  by  laborers  and 
by  children  in  the  streets.  America  seemed  to  have 
filled  the  heart  of  England  with  her  music.  Of  Mr. 
Sankey's  service  of  song  in  Edinburgh,  Dr.  Thompson 
said,  "  Those  who  have  come  and  heard  have  departed 
with  their  prejudices  vanquished,  and  their  hearts  im- 
pressed."    The  Rev.  Mr.  Taylor  also  said,  "As  Mr. 


244  LIFE  OF   IRA   DAVID   SANKEY. 

Sankey  proceeded  to  sing,  we  felt  that  it  was  real 
teaching.  Not  only  was  there  his  wonderful  voice, 
which  made  every  word  distinctly  heard  in  every  cor- 
ner of  the  hall,  and  to  which  the  organ  accompaniment 
was  felt  to  be  merely  subsidiary,  but  it  was  the  scriptu- 
ral thought  borne  into  the  mind  by  the  wave  of  song, 
and  kept  there  till  we  were  obliged  to  look  at  it  and 
feel  it  in  its  importance  and  its  preciousness." 

Mr.  Sankey  not  only  sang,  but  preached  the  gospel, 
conducting  meetings,  and,  though  not  delivering  ser- 
mons, inviting  in  simple  and  persuasive  words  the  people 
to  the  cross  of  Jesus.  While  addressing  a  group  of 
inquirers  at  Glasgow  on  everlasting  life,  and  emphasiz- 
ing the  word  hath,  a  woman  listening  attentively  ex- 
claimed, "  That  word  hath  has  done  it  all,"  and  went 
away  rejoicing  in  the  Lord.  In  Paisley  he  produced  a 
profound  impression  by  singing  in  his  moving  way 
''Nothing  but  Leaves,  the  Spirit  grieves."  At  Perth 
the  song,  "  Go  work  in  My  Vineyard,"  awakened  the 
great  congregation  to  labor  more  earnestly  for  the 
advancement  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  At  Aber- 
deen he  was  assisted,  as  in  many  other  places,  by  a 
most  efficient  choir  of  male  and  female  voices,  and  his 
American  melodies  produced  a  wonderful  effect.  His 
songs  met  with  special  favor  in  the  North  of  Scot- 
land, where  it  was  supposed  that  the  prejudice  against 
them  would  be  strongest.  "  In  the  remote  Highland 
glen,"  says  an  interesting  writer,  "  you  may  hear  the 
sound  of  hymn-singing :   shepherds  on  the  steep  hill- 


OPINION  OF  AN   EDINBURGH   JOURNALIST.       245 

sides  sing  Mr.  Sankey's  hymns  while  tending  their 
sheep ;  errand-boys  whistle  the  tunes  as  they  walk 
along  the  streets  of  the  Highland  towns ;  while  in  not 
a  few  of  the  lordly  castles  of  the  North,  they  express 
genuine  feeling." 

The  Daily  Edinburgh  Review  thus  spoke  of  the  sing- 
ing of  Mr.  Sankey  in  Scotland  :  — 

"Why  should  there  be  any  prejudice?  For  genera- 
tions most  of  the  Highland  ministers,  and  some  of  the 
Lowland  ministers  too,  have  sung  the  gospel,  sung 
their  sermons,  ay,  and  sung  their  prayers  too.  The 
only  difference  is,  that  they  sing  very  badly,  and  Mr. 
Sankey  very  beautifully.  He  accompanied  himself  on 
4  the  American  organ,'  it  is  true ;  and  some  of  us  who 
belong  to  the  old  school  can't  swallow  the  '  kist  of 
whustles'  yet.  It  may  help  us  over  this  stumbling- 
block  if  we  consider,  that,  with  the  finest  voice  and  ear 
in  the  world,  nobody  could  maintain  the  proper  pitch 
of  a  melody,  singing  so  long  as  Mr.  Sankey  does. 
And  then,  *  the  American  organ  '  is  only  a  '  little  one.' 
When  a  deputation  from  the  session  waited  on  Ralph 
Erskine,  to  remonstrate  with  him  on  the  enormity  of 
fiddling,  he  gave  them  a  beautiful  tune  on  the  violon- 
cello ;  and  they  were  so  charmed  that  they  returned  to 
their  constituents  with  the  report  that  it  was  all  right : 
'it  was  na'  the  wee,  sinfu'  fiddle  that  their  minister 
operated  upon,  but  a  grand  instrument,  full  of  grave, 
sweet  melody.'  I'm  afraid  some  good,  true  Presby- 
terians will  be  excusing  Mr.  Sankey's  organ,  and  them- 
selves for  listening  to  it,  by  some  such  plea  as  that." 


246  LIFE   OF   IRA   DAVID   SANKEY. 

Another  wrote :  "  The  admiration  of  Mr.  Sankey's 
music  is  enthusiastic.  When  he  sings  a  solo,  a  death- 
like silence  reigns  in  the  audience.  When  he  ceases 
there  is  a  rustling  like  the  leaves  of  a  forest  when 
stirred  by  the  wind.  We  might  apply  to  him  the 
language  of  Scripture,  4  Lo !  thou  art  unto  them  as  a 
very  lovely  song  of  one  who  hath  a  pleasant  voice,  and 
can  play  well  on  an  instrument.'  No  one  can  estimate 
the  service  he  has  rendered  to  the  Church  of  Christ  by 
the  compilation  of  his  book  of  ( Sacred  Songs,'  and  their 
sweet  tunes.  They  are  the  delight  of  all  ages.  I  have 
heard  in  Scotland  that  they  are  already  sung  in  our 
most  distant  colonies.  Ere  long,  I  believe,  they  will 
be  sung  wherever  the  English  language  is  spoken  over 
the  earth.  Nor  will  they  be  confined  to  that  language, 
for  a  lady  is  already  translating  them  into  German." 

In  Belfast  the  newsboys  cried  out  as  they  went  on, 
their  daily  rounds,  "  Hymn-books  with  songs  sung  at 
Moody  and  Sankey's  meetings ! "  and  sold  them  in 
large  numbers  through  the  city.  In  Londonderry  Mr. 
Sankey  was  so  well  sustained  by  the  local  choir,  that 
his  co-worker  said  he  had  never  before  heard  such 
sweet  music,  adding,  that  he  thought  they  should  sing 
"  new  songs  "  as  well  as  old  ones,  and  that  they  could 
sing  the  gospel  into  many  a  man's  heart. 

In  Manchester  a  Mr.  Cook,  one  evening  at  the  Roval 
Theatre,  sung  in  imitation  of  the  popular  song  uHe's  a 
fraud,"  the  words,  — 

"  We  know  that  Moody  and  Sankey 

Are  doing  some  good  in  their  way,"  — 


THEATRE   AND   CIRCUS,   LONDON.  247 

and  received  both  cheers  and  hisses  from  the  audience ; 
but,  on  repeating  the  words,  the  displeasure  was  so 
great  that  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  stage.  This 
testimony  of  theatre-going  people  even,  in  favor  of  the 
evangelists,  was  noticed  in  the  morning  papers,  and  the 
fact  also  that  the  song  was  not  repeated. 

Public  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  evangelists  was  the 
same  in  Dublin.  During  the  performance  at  the  circus, 
on  a  certain  evening,  one  clown  said  to  another,  "I'm 
rather  moody  to-night :  how  do  you  feel  ?  "  To  which 
the  other  answered,  "  I  feel  rather  sankey-monious" 
This  was  met  with  hisses,  and  the  whole  audience 
joined  with  grand  effect  in  singing,  — 

"Hold  the  fort,  for  I  am  coming, 
Jesus  signals  still; 
Wave  the  answer  back  to  heaven, 
By  thy  grace  we  will." 

The  greatest  favorite  at  Birmingham  was  "  Hold  the 
Fort,"  by  Mr.  Bliss.  The  vast  audiences  joined  in  the 
stirring  chorus,  filling  the  Bingley  Hall  with  rousing 
peals  of  sacred  song.  In  "London  "The  Ninety  and 
Nine"  and  "Only  an  Armor-Bearer"  appeared  to 
afford  the  most  delight ;  but  other  hymns,  as,  "  Almost 
persuaded,"  and  "  The  Prodigal  Child,"  by  Mrs.  Ellen 
H.  Gates,  became  immensely  popular,  and  were  daily 
heard  in  all  quarters  of  the  city. 

While  in  London,  the  Princess  of  Wales,  the  Duchess 
of  Sutherland,  and  other  distinguished  personages,  at- 
tended the  revival  meetings,  and  united  heartily  in  the 


248  LIFE   OF    IRA    DAVID    SAN  KEY. 

choruses  of  Mr.  Sankey's  songs.  His  singing  here  won 
many  hearts,  and  his  labors  amongst  the  inquirers  were, 
as  usual,  owned  and  blessed  of  God.  The  testimony  of 
one  young  man  is  that  of  many  :  "  I  went,"  says  he, 
"into  the  inquiry -room,  and  Mr.  Sankey  walked  up  and 
down  with  me,  and  talked  with  me  as  if  he  had  been 
my  own  father ;  and  I  found  Christ."  At  the  close  of 
the  meetings  in  Liverpool,  Mr.  Sankey  sung  as  a 
farewell  song,  "  Home,  Sweet  Home,"  with  remarkable 
pathos,  moving  many  in  the  audience  to  tears. 

Mr.  Sankey  gathered  several  new  and  beautiful 
hymns  and  tunes  during  his  mission-tour  abroad,  with 
which  he  has  since  enriched  his  sacred  song-books.  He 
found  the  words  of  the  song  "  Ninety  and  Nine,"  in 
"  The  Christian  Age  "  of  London,  and  immediately 
composed  the  music  for  them.  They  were  written  (as 
he  afterwards  ascertained  through  a  letter  from  her 
sister)  by  Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Clephane  of  Melrose, 
Scotland,  a  short  time  before  the  author's  death,  and 
were  first  published  in  Dr.  Arnott's  "  Family  Treasury," 
in  1868.     The  hymn  commencing, — 

' '  Beneath  the  cross  of  Jesus 

I  fain  would  take  my  stand,"  — 

for  which  Mr.  Sankey  also  wrote  the  music,  is  by  the 
same  author.  Soon  after  his  return  to  America  in  1875, 
Mr.  Sankey  published,  in  connection  with  Mr.  P.  P.  Bliss, 
44  Gospel  Hymns  and  Sacred  Songs,"  of  which  an  im- 
mense number  of  copies  have  been  sold.     It  contains 


SINGING   AT   BROOKLYN.  249 

eight  of  his  own  musical  compositions.  At  the  Taber- 
nacle in  Brooklyn,  Mr.  Sankey  was  supported  by  a  well- 
trained  choir  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  voices  ;  and  the 
singing  during  the  revival  was  remarkably  good.  The 
pieces  sung  were  familiar  to  the  people,  and  fears  were 
entertained  lest  on  this  account  the  effect  would  not  be 
as  great  as  it  had  been  across  the  sea ;  but  in  this  all 
were  happily  disappointed.  One  of  the  first  hymns 
given  out  was,  "  Hark !  the  Voice  of  Jesus  crying ; " 
and,  says  a  reporter,  "  as  Mr.  Sankey's  magnetic  voice 
and  wonderfully  expressive  singing  filled  the  great 
auditorium,  the  sympathy  among  his  hearers  grew  and 
increased  until  it  seemed  as  if,  had  he  continued  the 
sweet  melody  and  earnest  supplication,  every  person 
in  the  whole  audience  would  have  risen  and  joined 
with  him  in  a  grand  musical  prayer  of  mingled  appeal 
and  thanksgiving.  The  effect  he  produced  was  simply 
marvellous.  Many  responses,  such  as  '  Amen ! '  and 
'  Glory  to  God  ! '  were  heard  from  all  parts  of  the  vast 
assembly ;  and  at  the  close  a  great  many  men,  as  well 
as  women,  were  in  tears.  Mr.  Sankey's  voice  is  a 
marvel  of  sweetness,  flexibility,  and  strength.  There  is 
a  simplicity  about  his  vocalism,  that  disarms  the  criti- 
cism that  would  apply  to  it  any  of  the  rules  of  art.  It 
has  a  charm  purely  its  own,  which  attracts  and  holds 
one  with  a  power  that  is  gentle  but  irresistible."  In 
Philadelphia  he  had  the  assistance  of  a  choir  of  five 
hundred  singers  under  the  leadership  of  Prof.  Fischer, 
and  rendered  the  same  effective  assistance  as  before  to 


250  LIFE   OF  IRA  DAVID  SANKEY. 

Mr.  Moody  in  his  evangelical  mission.  His  songs  sunk 
into  the  hearts  of  the  people,  so  that  such  questions  as 
"Did  you  hear  the  4  Ninety  and  Nine'?"  "Isn't  his 
singing  better  than  a  sermon  ?  "  "  Wasn't  that  hymn 
8  Nothing  but  Leaves  '  impressive  ?  "  as  well  as  the 
singing  of  the  songs  themselves,  were  frequently  heard 
along  the  streets  of  the  city. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Sheppard  said,  "  The  first  song  I  heard 
Mr.  Sankey  sing  was,  4  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by  ; ' 
and.  it  was  the  most  eloquent  sermon  I  ever  heard.  It 
spoke  of  the  opportunity  present,  soon  to  pass,  and 
actually  past.     It  was  most  impressing  and  powerful." 

At  a  convention  held  near  the  close  of  his  labors  in 
Philadelphia,  Mr.  Sankey  said,  in  respect  to  church 
music,  —  and  his  words  are  worthy  of  attention,  "  It 
should  be  conducted  by  a  good  large  choir  of  Christian 
singers,  who  should  encourage  the  congregation  to  join 
heartily  with  them  in  the  songs  of  Zion,  instead  of 
monopolizing  the  service  themselves.  I  would  have 
the  singers  and  the  organ  in  front  of  the  congregation, 
near  the  minister ;  and  would  insist  on  deportment  by 
the  singers  in  keeping  with  the  services  of  the  house 
of  God.  The  conduct  of  the  choir  during  the  service 
will  have  very  much  to  do  with  the  success  of  the 
preaching.  Instead  of  whispering,  writing  notes,  pass- 
ing books,  and  the  like,  the  choir  should  give  the 
closest  attention  to  all  the  services,  especially  to  the 
preaching  of  the  word.  There  should  be  the  most 
intimate  relation  between  the  leader  of  the  singing  and 


VIEWS   OF  CHURCH  MUSIC.  251 

the  pastor.  Old  familiar  hymns  and  tunes  should  be 
used,  and  now  and  then  a  Sunday-school  song  ;  so  that 
the  children  may  feel  that  they  have  a  part  in  the 
prayer-meeting,  as  well  as  in  the  Sunday  school.  All 
should  try  to  understand  the  sentiment  of  the  hymn  or 
sacred  song,  and  enter  into  it  with  heart  and  voice,  in 
a  prayerful  frame  of  mind,  silently  asking  God  to  bless 
the  song  to  every  soul." 

During  the  meeting  Mr.  Sankey  spoke  of  the  pleasure 
he  had  received  in  hearing  his  songs  sung  in  the  capital 
of  Switzerland,  wdiich  he  visited  before  returning  to 
America,  —  and  also  on  the  railways  in  France,  —  add- 
ing that  by  God's  grace  he  would  keep  on  singing, 
and  encourage  others  to  sing  those  sweet  stories  of 
Jesus  and  his  love. 

In  respect  to  church  psalmody,  Mr.  Sankey  at  another 
time  said  that  music  occupied  a  very  prominent  place 
in  the  Lord's  work  ;  and  that  the  choirs  in  the  churches 
should  consist  of  Christian  people,  and  be  led  by  a 
Christian  chorister. 

If  he  could  not  find  sufficient  members  among  the 
congregation,  he  would  go  into  the  Sunday  schools, 
where  they  would  generally  find  the  gospel  songs  sung 
more  heartily  than  anywhere  else. 

The  ministers,  also,  should  encourage  the  singers. 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  in  London,  never  gives  out  a  hymn 
without  telling  the  people  just  how  he  would  like  it 
sung  ;  and  the  result  is  that  the  whole  assemblage  of 
people  partake  of  his  earnestness,  and  sing  it  with 
spirit. 


25  2  life  or  in  a  david  sankey. 

Mr.  Sankey  hoped  that  he  should  be  pardoned  if  he 
said  that  ministers  did  not  make  as  much  of  the  singing 
as  they  could.  The  singing,  he  thought,  should  be 
prayed  for  as  much  as  the  preaching.  It  has  been  an 
important  part  in  the  services  in  all  ages.  The  choir 
should  not  be  away  in  the  back  gallery.  The  singers 
should  be  near  the  minister,  alongside  the  platform,  so 
that  he  could  be  in  accord  with  them.  In  churches 
there  should  not  be  two  parties,  one  at  one  end,  another 
at  the  opposite  end  of  the  church. 

He  did  not  think  there  should  be  any  people  in  the 
choir  whose  deportment  would  grieve  the  children  of 
God. 

Mr.  Sankey  said  he  once  heard  a  bishop  preach,  and 
during  the  whole  service  a  young  lady,  a  member  of 
the  choir,  kept  talking  and  writing  notes  to  a  young 
gentleman,  which  behavior  so  distracted  his  (Mr. 
Sankey's)  attention  that  he  did  not  know  actually  what 
the  bishop  was  talking  about. 

The  man,  he  said,  who  leads,  should  go  into  the 
Sunday  school  and  into  the  prayer-meetings.  If  he 
cannot  do .  this,  he  will  exercise  no  very  marked  influ- 
ence for  good  in  the  choir.  In  the  Sunday  school  Mr. 
Sankey  would  have  a  little  organ. 

He  admired  the  large,  the  noble  instrument ;  but 
people  did  not  sing  so  well  with  it  as  with  the  small 
one.  When  a  large  organ  is  being  played,  it  drowns 
the  voices,  and  people  just  sit  and  listen  without  sing- 
ing.    A  little  organ  will  only  give  the  singers  the  key- 


HIS   SINGING  AT   NEW   YORK.  253 

note.  We  do  not,  in  fact,  need  any  instrumental  music 
in  the  house  of  God  :  we  only  want  the  key-note. 

Then  he  would  insist  that  the  organist  should  play 
softly.  He  had  a  pretty  strong  voice,  but  the  strength 
of  some  of  the  organs  would  effectually  drown  his 
voice. 

If  there  are  any  evangelistic  services  to  be  held  in 
your  midst,  every  minister,  when  he  sends  in  lists  of 
people  for  our  choirs,  should  send  in  the  very  best. 
When  the  choir  meets,  let  the  exercises  be  commenced 
and  closed  with  prayer.  He  believed  four-fifths  of  the 
traditional  trouble  in  choirs  is  because  of  the  ungodly 
people  composing  them. 

He  would  not  have  a  man  get  up  and  flourish  a  book 
or  stick  in  leading.  When  practising,  of  course  it 
might  be  admissible  ;  but,  when  we  come  to  worship 
God,  the  less  the  display  the  better. 

Mr.  Sankey  concluded  by  touching  upon  the  necessity 
of  a  correct  pronunciation. 

"  Owing  to  a  careless  reading,  people  do  not  under- 
stand the  words  as  they  are  sung ;  consequently  they 
cannot  take  up  the  hymn  and  sing  in  unison  with  the 
choir.  If  the  reading  were  better,  there  would  be  a 
great  deal  more  interest  manifested  by  the  congrega- 
tions." 

At  the  Hippodrome  in  New  York  City,  Mr.  Sankey 
afforded  Mr.  Moody  essential  aid  in  conducting  the 
long-extended  services  of  the  revival,  adding  to  the 
interest  of  the  meetings  not  unfrequently,  by  a  pertinent 


254  LIFE   OF   IRA   DAVID  SANKEY. 

illustration  or  a  story,  as  well  as  by  his  soul-moving 
songs.  "  His  singing,"  said  one  of  the  religious  jour- 
nals, "  contributed  much  to  the  inspiration  which  ani- 
mated the  services,  and  helped  to  draw  the  vast  crowds 
which  felt  their  influence.  Every  hymn  was  a  gospel 
message  ;  and  the  tunes  seemed  not  only  to  be  made  on 
purpose  for  the  hymns,  but  the  expression  given  to 
their  spirit,  and  the  articulation  given  to  the  words, 
were  scarcely  less  than  perfect." 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  labors  here  he  said  in  a  large 
meeting,  "  I  feel  in  my  heart  to-night  a  sad  minor  note 
sounding  there,  —  one  of  sadness  and  regret  that  the 
meetings  which  have  been  so  blessed  are  so  soon,  so 
far  as  we  are  concerned,  to  pass  away;  this  is  a  sad 
thought  and  note  in  the  song  of  my  heart  to-night :  yet 
still  there  is  a  louder  note,  one  of  a  joyful  tone,  telling 
me  we  shall  meet  again.  I  desire  to  say  before  giving 
way  to  others,  that  in  all  our  work,  both  in  this  and 
other  countries,  we  have  never  had  more  hearty,  warm, 
and  efficient  help  than  we  have  had  in  New  York  in  all 
the  departments  of  our  labor.  We  feel  that  each  one, 
in  whatever  secluded  place,  has  done  his  duty ;  and  my 
heart  goes  out  to  each  of  you  with  a  hearty  i  God  bless 
you!'" 

After  the  close  of  this  campaign,  Mr.  Sankey's  health 
became  somewhat  impaired :  yet  feeling  the  need  of  new 
hymns  and  music,  he  engaged  zealously  with  his  friend 
Mr.  P.  P.  Bliss  in  the  preparation  of  "  Gospel  Hymns 
No.  2,"  which  contains  twelve  of  his  own  tunes,  to- 


SINGING   IN  BOSTON.  255 

gether  with  some  by  Messrs.  Bliss,  Doane,  Root,  Vail, 
Perkins,  Lowry,  Phillips,  Main,  Bradbury,  and  others, 
and  which  is  now  used  at  the  Tabernacle  in  Boston. 

In  the  midst  of  his  arduous  labors  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  Mr.  Sankey  was  suddenly  called  to  mourn  the 
death  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bliss,  with  whom  he  had  been 
so  long  associated  in  the  sweet  service  of  song.  The 
assurance  only,  that  through  Christ  they  should  beyond 
the  river  sing  a  sweeter  strain  in  company,  could  assuage 
his  grief. 

At  the  opening  of  the  Tabernacle  for  the  renowned 
evangelists  in  Boston,  on  the  28th  of  January,  1877,  the 
expectation  in  regard  to  the  singing  of  Mr.  Sankey  was 
very  great ;  as  this  city  is  noted  for  its  knowledge  and 
its  love  of  music.  Will  Mr.  Sankey's  simple  melodies, 
his  unartistic  style  of  singing,  satisfy  the  public  taste  ? 
Will  the  efforts  of  the  Western  vocalist  with  his  melo- 
deon  be  appreciated  ?  The  desire  to  listen  to  his  songs 
was  perhaps  as  strong  as  that  of  hearing  the  distin- 
guished preacher. 

The  services  opened,  and  the  minstrel  who  had  charmed 
so  many  audiences,  both  in  the  Old  World  and  the  New, 
came  in  and  modestly  took  his  seat  beside  his  little 
instrument  on  the  platform.  The  hymn  commencing, 
"  There  were  ninety  and  nine  that  safely  lay,"  being 
then  announced,  he  arose,  and  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice 
made  the  following  supplication  for  a  blessing  upon 
sacred  song :  — 

fc'  Our  heavenly  Father,  in   the  name   of  the   Lord 


256  LIFE  OF   IRA   DAVID   SANKEY. 


Jesus  we  come  to  thee  at  this  moment,  asking  that  thy 
blessing  may  rest  upon  the  singing  that  has  already 
been  done,  and  shall  be  done,  in  this  great  Tabernacle. 
Bless,  we  pray  thee,  the  message  of  thy  love  as  found 
in  these  songs.  And  we  pray,  our  Father,  that  thou 
wouldst  bless  the  singers  who  have  just  come  here,  and 
will  come  day  after  day,  to  lift  up  the  voice  of  praise 
unto  thee.  And  as  in  days  of  old,  when  singers  were 
wont  to  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  the  Lord,  do  thou 
meet  with  thy  people  in  this  temple  dedicated  to  thy 
service.  And,  our  Father,  shall  we  not  ask  that  ere 
long  we  may  even  see  the  prodigals  being  brought 
home  by  the  Good  Shepherd  himself ;  having  wandered 
far  away  from  thee,  they  will  hear  that  ringing  voice  of 
thine,  and  say,  '  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  Father.' 
Lord  Jesus,  bless  us  now  in  all  that  we  shall  do  here, 
and  we  will  give  thee  the  praise  for  evermore.  Amen." 
He  then  in  tones  of  remarkable  sweetness  sung  the 
celebrated  song,  enchaining  the  attention  of  the  great 
assemblage,  and  convincing  all,  that,  though  he  might 
not  satisfy  the  high  demands  of  art,  he  had  the  power 
to  send  his  voice  into  the  soul,  and  touch  the  secret 
chords  of  its  most  profound  devotion.  This  indeed  is 
something  higher  than  art,  and  captivates  when  art  is 
powerless.  It  is  not  so  much  by  the  force,  as  by  the 
peculiar  timbre,  the  searching  quality  of  his  voice,  that 
Mr.  Sankey  produces  such  effect.  Many  of  his  songs, 
as  rendered  by  very  accomplished  vocalists,  are  power- 
less to  move  the  heart.     People  hear  them  thus  per- 


TACT   AND   POWER.  257 

formed  in  the  social  circle,  and  wonder  how  and  why 
they  ever  make  such  marked  impressions.  The  reason 
may  be  that  Mr.  Sankey  sends  by  an  intense  sympathy, 
and  by  tones  peculiarly  his  own,  the  sentiment  of  the 
song  into  the  hearer's  soul.  His  objective  point  is  the 
conversion  or  the  sanctiflcation  of  that  soul ;  the  list- 
ener then,  forgetting  the  singer  and  the  song,  turns  his 
thought  inward  to  himself,  and  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus  wakens  the  emotions.  To  know  the  power  of 
Mr.  Sankey's  songs,  the  only  sure  way  is  to  hear  him. 
He  may  well  be  called  the  Dempster  of  sacred  song. 
His  voice,  especially  in  the  middle  notes,  has  a  pecu- 
liar sympathetic  sweetness  that  steals  into  the  heart, 
and  mysteriously  unlocks  the  fountain  of  tears.  He 
reveals,  as  none  others  can,  the  sentiment  of  his  hymn, 
and,  enunciating  every  word  and  syllable  with  remarka- 
ble distinctness,  makes  himself  heard  with  ease  in  the 
remotest  parts  of  the  very  largest  audience-chamber. 
He  has  also  the  tact  of  adapting  every  song  to  the 
subject-matter  of  the  speaker,  or  to  the  peculiar  mood 
of  the  congregation,  so  as  to  produce  the  best  effect. 
Sometimes  a  doubt  arises  whether  he  or  Mr.  Moody- 
draws  the  greater  number  to  the  Tabernacle  :  certain 
it  is,  that  neither  would  succeed  so  well  alone.  Per- 
sons of  a  delicate,  sensitive,  and  emotional  temperament 
would  undoubtedly  prefer  the  singer  ;  those  who  love 
to  hear  plain  truths  enunciated  fearlessly  would  prefer 
the  preacher:  yet,  as  the  public  is  made  up  of  both 
these  classes,  it  finds  that  in  the  union  of  the  two 
evangelists  its  spiritual  demands  are  satisfied. 


258  LIFE   OF   IRA   DAVID   SANKEY. 

M  Mr.  Moody,"  says  The  Inter-Ocean,  "  startles  us 
and  arouses  us,  while  Mr.  Sankey  soothes  and  com- 
forts. Mr.  Moody,  earnest  as  he  is,  succeeds  without 
the  grace  of  voice  and  manner :  Mr.  Sankey,  earnest  as 
he  is,  succeeds  because  of  grace  in  voice  and  manner. 
He  is  well  fitted  to  be  Mr.  Moody's  companion,  and 
those  who  hear  him  do  not  wonder  at  his  continued 
success  in  this  peculiar  field." 

"  Mr.  Sankey,"  says  Mrs.  Barbour  truthfully  as  well 
as  beautifully,  "  sings  with  the  conviction  that  souls  are 
receiving  Jesus  between  one  note  and  the  next.  The 
stillness  is  overawing ;  some  of  the  lines  are  more 
spoken  than  sung.  The  hymns  are  equally  used  for 
awakening,  and  none  more  so  than  4  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
passeth  by.'  When  you  hear  4  The  Ninety  and  Nine  ' 
sung,  you  know  of  a  truth  that  down  in  this  corner,  up 
in  that  gallery,  behind  that  pillar  which  hides  the 
singer's  face  from  the  listener,  the  hand  of  Jesus  has 
been  finding  this  and  that  and  yonder  lost  one,  to  place 
them  in  his  fold.  A  certain  class  of  hearers  come  to 
the  services  solely  to  hear  ^Ir.  Sankey,  and  the  song 
throws  the  Lord's  net  around  them." 

Sustained  by  the  efficient  choir  of  Dr.  Tourje'e,  this 
gifted  singer,  criticise  him  as  we  may,  continues  to 
perform  admirably  his  part  in  the  varied  exercises  of 
the  Tabernacle.  The  great  congregation  listens  with 
ever-fresh  delight  to  his  well-rendered  songs,  "  I  need 
Thee  every  Hour,"  "  Hallelujah,  'tis  done,"  "  Where 
are  the  Nine  ?  "  "  Hold  the  Fort,  for  I  am  coming," 


ADDRESS   BY  MR.    CAVERLY.  259 

"  Waiting  and  Watching,"  "  Have  You  on  the  Lord 
believed  ?  "  "  Go  bury  thy  Sorrow,"  "  Pull  for  the 
Shore,"  and  others  of  a  world-wide  reputation,  and 
always  joins  with  united  and  exultant  voices  in  the 
chorus. 

Mr.  Sankey  has  a  pleasing  personal  appearance. 
Though  not  as  large  as  Mr.  Moody,  he  excels  him 
both  as  to  symmetry  in  form  and  grace  in  manner. 
His  hair  and  eyes  are  dark ;  his  countenance  is  open, 
genial,  expressive,  and  sometimes,  when  he  is  engaged 
in  singing,  radiant  with  joy.  The  artist  has  in  the 
accompanying  portrait  presented  truthfully  and  to  the 
life  the  features  of  this  charming  vocalist,  and  the  auto- 
graph is  copied  from  a  letter  in  my  possession. 

Without  the  force,  mental  or  physical,  of  his  fellow- 
laborer,  Mr.  Sankey  has  more  of  personal  beauty,  more 
of  culture,  and  also  of  that  natural  suavity  which  wins 
the  hearts  of  all  who  know  him. 

May  his  life  be  long  continued,  and  his  tongue,  tuned 
to  still  loftier  notes  of  praise,  call,  by  the  power  of  con- 
secrated song,  yet  mightier  throngs  of  people  to  rejoice 
in  God  their  Saviour ! 

The  following  lines  addressed  to  him  were  sent  to 
me  by  the  author  for  this  work :  — 


"  Sing  on,  minstrel,  heavenward  bearing; 
Music  moves  the  world  from  sin; 
Onward,  then,  God's  truth  declaring; 
Faith  and  works  are  bound  to  win,  — 


260 


LIFE   OF   IRA   DAVID   SANKEY. 


Bound  to  win  in  every  contest, 

Though  the  odds  be  ne'er  so  strong  ; 
Truth  the  firmest,  hope  the  fondest, 

Cheer  thee  in  thy  "  gospel  song." 

Drones  can  never  rise  to  glory, 

Doomed  to  perish  in  the  strife  ; 
God  ordains  it,  true  the  story, 

'  Workers  reap  the  joys  of  life.' 

Sing,  then,  songs  new,  sweet,  and  holy  ; 

Lure  the  world  away  from  sin  ; 
Lift  the  burdens  from  the  lowly  ; 

Upward,  onward,  work  and  win." 

Robert  B.  Caverlt. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIVES 


OF 


MR.  P.  P.  BLISS  AND  DR.  EBEN  TOURJEE. 


LIFE   OF  P.  P.  BLISS. 

THE   BIRTH   AND   EDUCATION   OP   MR.  BLISS.  — HIS   MUSIC,  WORK, 
AND  DEATH.— DR.   EBEN  TOURJEE. 

Birth  of  Mr.  Bliss.  —  Early  Taste  for  Music.  —His  Disposition.  —Comes 
to  Chicago.  —  His  Wife's  Influence  over  him.  —  He  conducts  Musical 
Institutes.  —  Effect  of  his  Singing  on  Mr.  Moody.  —  At  a  Sunday- 
School  Convention.  — His  Publications.  — His  Connection  with  Major 
Whittle.  —A  Notice  of  one  of  their  Meetings.  —  A  Letter.  —  "The 
Gospel  Songs." — Style  of  the  Music.  —  Sources  of  his  Hymns. — 
"  Lower  Lights."  —  "I  am  so  glad."  —  "Life-Boat."  —  "  More  to  fol- 
low."—  "Meet  me  at  the  Fountain."  —  Effects  of  his  Music.  —  An 
Incident.  — His  Mission.  —  Mrs.  Bliss.  —  The  Royalty  on  "  The  Gos- 
pel Hymns  and  Sacred  Sougs."  —  "  Gospel  Hymns  No.  2."  —  "  Wait- 
ing and  Watching."  —  Singing  at  Chautauqua.  —  Remarks  on  Church 
Music.  —  A  Letter.  —  A  Prophecy.  —  Disaster  at  Ashtabula  Bridge.  — 
Death  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bliss.  — Telegrams.  —  Letter  of  Condolence.  — 
Memorial  Services  at  Chicago.  —  Boston.  —  Notice  from  "  The  Trib- 
une."—Mrs.  Bliss.  — Personal  Traits  of  Mr.  Bliss.  —  His  Monument. 
—  Birth  of  Dr.  Tourjee.  —  Education.  —  His  Praise-Meetings. — 
Conservatory.  —  Character. 

"  Sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song."  — DAVID. 
"  Sing  on  your  heavenly  way, 
Ye  ransomed  sinners,  sing  ; 
Sing  on,  rejoicing  every  day 
In  Christ,  the  heavenly  King."  —  William  Hammond. 
"  Sing  of  Jesus,  sing  forever, 
Of  the  love  that  changes  never : 
Who  or  what  from  him  can  sever 
Those  he  makes  his  own  ?  "  —  Thomas  Kelly. 

The  songs  of  Mr.  P.  P.  Bliss  are  sung  by  millions. 
They  are  joyous,  bright,  and  hopeful,  indicating  thus  the 

263 


264  LIFE   OF   MR.   P.    P.   BLISS. 


spirit  of  the  man.  Like  his  name,  his  life  was  brief  and 
beautiful.  His  record  is  romantic,  yet  from  it  many 
salutary  lessons  may  be  drawn.  He  was  born  in  the 
little  town  of  Rome,  near  Towanda,  Penn.,  on  the  ninth 
day  of  July,  1838.  His  parents  were  very  poor ;  and 
their  only  son  was  early  inured  to  labor,  which,  instead 
of  injuring,  tended  to  develop  both  his  physical  and  men- 
tal constitution.  In  his  boyhood  he  evinced  a  love  of 
music,  but  had  then  no  opportunities  to  study  it  as  an 
art.  He,  however,  remembered  well  the  sabbath-school 
and  martial  songs  that  met  his  ear,  and  often  amused 
himself  and  others  by  singing  and  whistling  them  at 
his  work.  He  had,  as  it  was  said,  a  good  ear  for  music, 
and,  what  is  better,  a  bright  and  genial  turn  of  mind. 
He  was,  though  penniless,  a  light-hearted,  merry,  and 
obliging  boy,  —  well  formed,  well  behaved,  and  well 
beloved.  As  he  advanced  in  asre  his  voice  became  more 
sweet  and  powerful.  He  led  the  music  in  the  sabbath 
school,  and  sought,  as  he  was  able,  for  improvement  in 
the  "  art  divine."  On  coming  to  Chicago  in  1864,  he 
was  fortunate  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  the  distin- 
guished musical  composer  Mr.  George  F.  Root,  and  in 
coming  under  his  instruction.  Entering  into  the  em- 
ployment of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Root  and  Cady,  music- 
publishers,  he  found  means  to  gratify  his  passion  for 
song,  and  soon  learned,  as  Mr.  Sankey,  how  to  play 
accompaniments  on  the  melodeon  to  his  voice.  He 
began  to  compose  simple  songs  for  the  sabbath  school, 
and  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  public  by  his  spirited 


HIS   MARRIAGE.  265 

rendering  of  the  popular  tunes  of  Messrs.  Root  and 
Bradbury,  which  were  making  then  a  new  departure  in 
the  field  of  sacred  melody.  He  had  a  charming  voice, 
a  joyous  temper,  and  his  services  for  sabbath-school 
and  musical  conventions  gradually  came  to  be  in  great 
demand.  On  his  marriage  to  Miss  Lucy  J.  Young  of 
Rome,  Penn.,  a  lady  of  fine  poetical  as  well  as  musical 
taste,  he  received  a  fresh  incentive  to  pursue  the  study 
of  sacred  song.  Through  her  influence  he  became  a 
Christian  ;  and  by  her  his  culture  of  music  and  of  lyric- 
al poetry  was  encouraged  and  advanced.  He  became  a 
member  of  Dr.  E.  P.  Goodwin's  church,  in  which  he  was 
in  1870  appointed  chorister,  and  subsequently  superin- 
tendent of  the  sabbath  school.  While  in  this  capacity 
he  composed  many  of  those  beautiful  hymns  and  tunes 
now  sung  with  gladness  by  so  many  millions  both  at 
home  and  across  the  sea.  When  Mr.  Bliss  had  gained 
sufficient  knowledge  of  his  favorite  art,  he  began  with 
his  wife,  who  was  a  charming  singer  as  well  as  writer, 
to  hold  normal  musical  institutes  through  the  towns 
and  cities  of  the  great  North-west,  by  which  he  for 
several  years  did  much  towards  raising  the  standard 
of  taste  both  as  to  secular  and  sacred  music  in  that 
region.  He  also  became  ver}^  popular  as  a  singer  in 
Chicago,  and  received  merited  applause  in  carrying  the 
bass  solos  in  the  grand  oratorios  of  the  "  Creation  "  and 
of  "  Elijah."  But  his  favorite  work  was  in  connection 
with  the  sabbath  schools,  young  men's  conventions,  and 
evangelism. 


266  LIFE   OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 

It  was  the  hearing  of  the  magnificent  voice  of  Mr. 
Bliss  in  Farwell  Hall  that  gave  Mr.  Moody  his  idea  of 
engaging  a  "  gospel  singer  "  to  aid  him  in  his  revival 
work.  He  took  Mr.  Sankey  with  him  to  England, 
because  Mr.  Bliss  had  shown  him  how  glorious  it  is  to 
sing  the  praises  of  the  Lord. 

During  the  time  of  the  great  Sunday-school  awaken- 
ing in  Illinois,  Mr.  Edward  Eggleston  went  out  to 
hold  a  convention  in  a  certain  town,  and  was  much  dis- 
couraged to  find  but  a  very  few  people  present.  The 
services  went  on  heavily  for  an  hour  or  so,  when  it 
was  announced  to  him  that  Mr.  Bliss  and  his  wife  had 
arrived  in  town. 

"Who  is  Bliss?  "said  he. 

"  A  music-teacher  who  is  travelling  for  Root  and 
Cady." 

"  Bring  him  in." 

In  a  short  time  Mr.  Bliss  appeared,  and  said  that  he 
would  sing  if  he  could  have  his  melodeon  to  assist  him. 
It  was  a  United  Presbyterian  Church  ;  and  the  minister 
said  to  Mr.  Eggleston,  "  I  cannot  give  you  permission 
to  introduce  a  melodeon,  but  we  have  lent  to  you  the 
church  for  a  convention.  If  you  introduce  a  melodeon 
I  am  not  responsible." 

The  instrument  was  brought  in,  and  Mr.  Bliss  and  his 
wife  with  her  fine  contralto  voice  engaged  in  singing. 
"  And  such  singing  !  "  says  Mr.  Eggleston.  "  Instead 
of  some  poor  country  singing-master,  beating  out  his 
music  as  with  a  flail,  I  soon  found  that  here  was  a  man 


HIS  PUBLICATIONS.  267 

with  one  of  the  richest  voices  in  the  world,  capable  of 
putting  his  own  strong  spirit  into  all  he  sung.  He 
made  us  forget  our  Tate  and  Brady  ;  he  sung  us  into 
a  state  of  delight,  and  I  saw  tears  running  down  the 
cheeks  of  the  United  Presbyterian  minister."  The 
house  was  overcrowded  in  the  evening,  and  so  Mr. 
Bliss  turned  what  else  had  been  a  defeat  into  a  victory. 
The  first  Sunday-school  music  of  Mr.  Bliss  appeared 
in  Mr.  George  F.  Root's  little  work  entitled  "  The 
Prize,"  which  was  published  in  1870.  "  Whosoever 
will,"  and  "  Look  and  Live,"  with  their  animated 
choruses,  soon  became  familiar  to  the  members  of  the 
sabbath  schools  throughout  the  country.  Encouraged 
by  this  success,  he  published  himself,  in  1871,  "  The 
Charm,"  whose  very  title  indicates  the  effect  which  it 
produced  wherever  it  was  used.  In  the  year  ensuing 
he  brought  out  "  The  Song  Tree,"  indicating  in  the 
preface,  formed  of  an  acrostic,  the  design  for  which  the 
work  was  published. 

"  Sing  away  dreariness, 

Tree  of  my  love  ; 
Oh,  and  to  weariness 

Rest  may'st  thou  prove  ; 
Nobly  endeavor 

The  erring  to  win, 
Guarding  forever 

From  evil  and  sin." 

He  next  published  for  the  use  of  sabbath  schools, 
"  Sunshine,"  the    title    itself   showing    the    spirit    in 


268  LIFE  OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 

which  it  was  composed ;  and  then  another  work  entitled 
"  The  Joy,"  containing  music  of  a  higher  style. 

In  the  spring  of  1874  his  friend  Major  D.  W. 
Whittle,  knowing  his  remarkable  power  to  "  sing  the 
gospel,"  invited  him  to  leave  his  musical  institutes  and 
singing  schools,  and  devote  himself  entirely  to  evan- 
gelism. He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  engaged  heart 
and  soul  with  him  in  the  self-denying  work,  trusting,  as 
Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey,  in  the  Lord  alone  for  his 
support.  They  held  successful  meetings  in  various 
cities  as  far  south  as  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  as  far  north  as 
Minneapolis,  Minn.,  proving  that  in  the  union  of  music, 
prayer,  and  exhortation,  there  is  strength.  One  of 
their  notices  will  indicate  their  method  in  evangeliz- 
ing : — 

"  Week  of  prayer.  Major  Whittle  will  preach  the 
gospel,  and  P.  P.  Bliss  will  sing  the  gospel,  this 
Wednesday  evening,  Jan.  6,  at  Union  Park  Congrega- 
tional Church,  Ashland  Avenue,  opposite  the  Park. 
Seats  free  ;  all  invited ;  further  appointment.  4  He 
hath  appointed  a  day  in  the  which  he  will  judge  the 
world  in  righteousness  by  that  man  [Jesus  Christ] 
whom  he  hath  ordained  ;  whereof  he  hath  given  assur- 
ance unto  all  men,  in  that  he  hath  raised  him  from  the 
dead'  [Acts  xvii.  31].  Friend,  are  you  ready  to  meet 
this  appointment  ?    There  can  be  no  postponement." 

In  the  summer  of  1874  he  wrote  to  a  friend,  "  Major 
Whittle  and  I  are  holding  protracted  meetings.  God  is 
wonderfully  using  us  in  every  way.     Help  us  to  praise 


"LOWER   LIGHTS."  269 

him  for  it.  I  am  preparing  a  book  of  *  Gospel  Songs ' 
for  our  special  use,  and  would  be  right  glad  to  have 
you  send  a  list  of  hymns  and  tunes  which  have  been 
most  successful  in  your  experience.  And,  above  all, 
pray  for  the  book.  All  the  good  in  the  book  must 
come  from  God."  This  book  was  published  the  same 
year  at  Cincinnati,  and  contains  as  many  as  fifty-two  of 
his  own  compositions,  among  which,  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
passeth  by,"  "  I  am  so  glad  that  Jesus  loves  me," 
"  Only  an  Armor-Bearer,"  "  More  to  follow,"  "  Let  the 
Lower  Lights  be  burning,"  "  Almost  persuaded," 
"Daniel's  Band,"  "Pull  for  the  Shore,"  "Hold  the 
Fort,"  "  Go  bury -thy  Sorrow,"  "  Meet  me  at  the  Foun- 
tain," and  "  Roll  on,  O  Billow  of  Fire,"  have  become 
famous  both  in  England  and  America.  The  music  of 
these  hymns  is  well  adapted  to  the  words,  written  in 
some  instances  by  Mr.  Bliss  himself;  and  although  it 
evinces  not  much  of  originality,  consisting  as  it  does 
of  ideas  and  phrases  long  familiar  to  the  ear,  it  still  is 
sprightly,  buoyant,  as  the  soul  of  its  composer,  and 
reaches  into  the  innermost  chambers  of  the  heart.  It 
is  national,  and  will  doubtless  live  for  many  years  to, 
cheer  the  sorrowing,  and  to  aid  in  the  dissemination  of 
the  seeds  of  truth.  No  American  music  is  known  so 
well  in  Great  Britain  as  that  of  Mr.  Bliss.  Many  of 
the  hymns  of  Mr.  Bliss  are  founded  on  some  striking 
incident,  and  hence  are  true  to  life  experience. 

"  Let  the  Lower  Lights  be  burning,"  was  suggested 
by  a  shipwreck  thus  graphically  described  by  Mr.  D.  L. 


270  LIFE  OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 

Moody :  "  On  a  dark,  stormy  night  when  the  waves 
rolled  like  mountains,  and  not  a  star  was  to  be  seen,  a 
boat,  rocking  and  plunging,  neared  the  Cleveland 
Harbor. 

" '  Are  you  sure  this  is  Cleveland  ?  '  asked  the  cap- 
tain, seeing  only  one  light  from  the  light-house. 

" c  Quite  sure,  sir,'  replied  the  pilot. 

"  '  Where  are  the  lower  lights  ?  ' 

"  '  Gone  out,  sir.' 

"  '  Can  you  make  the  harbor  ? ' 

M  i  "We  ynust,  or  perish,  sir.' 

"  And  with  a  strong  hand  and  a  brave  heart  the  old 
pilot  turned  the  wheel.  But  alas !  in  the  darkness  he 
missed  the  channel,  and  with  a  crash  upon  the  rocks 
the  boat  was  shivered,  and  many  a  life  lost  in  a  watery 
grave.  Brethren,  the  Master  will  take  care  of  the 
great  light-house.  Let  us  keep  the  lower  lights  burn- 
ing." 

The  very  beautiful  song,  "  I  am  so  glad  that  our 
Father  in  Heaven,"  was  suggested  to  Mr.  Bliss  by  the 
refrain,  "  Oh,  how  I  love  Jesus  !  " 

"  I  have  sung  long  enough,"  said  he  to  himself  one 
day,  "  my  poor  love  for  Christ,  and  now  I  will  sing  of 
his  love  for  me."  He  then  wrote  in  his  very  best  style, 
his  soul  being  filled  with  sacred  emotion,  the  words 
and  music  of  this  favorite  piece.  The  effect  of  this 
song  in  Scotland  was  electrical ;  and  it  still  is  sung  by 
high  and  low,  from  Solway  Frith  to  John  O'Groat's. 

The  effective  lyric,  "Roll  on,  O  Billow   of  Fire!" 


271 


written  and  set  to  music  by  himself,  and  dedicated  to 
Mr.  D.  L.  Mood}*,  is  a  graphic  description  of  the  burn- 
ing of  Chicago  :  — 

"  Hark,  the  alarm!  the  clang  of  the  bells! 
Signal  of  danger,  it  rises  and  swells; 
Flashes  like  lightning  illumine  the  sky, 
See  the  red  glare  as  the  flames  mount  on  high. 
Roll  on,  roll  on,  O  billow  of  fire! 
Dash  with  thy  fiery  waves  higher  and  higher: 
Ours  is  a  mansion  abiding  and  sure, 
Ours  is  a  kingdom  eternal,  secure." 

Both  in  the  words  and  the  music  Mr.  Bliss  presents 
most  vividly  the  picture  of  that  dreadful  conflagration, 
and  then  beautifully  contrasts  the  insecurity  of  our 
earthly  habitations  with  the  permanence  of  our  celestial 
home.  Had  he  written  only  this  spirited  song,  his 
memory  would  have  been  long  cherished  by  the  lovers 
of  sacred  melody. 

The  stirring  song  of  the  life-boat,  commencing, 
"  Light  in  the  darkness,  sailor :  day  is  at  hand,"  and  of 
which  Mr.  Bliss  wrote  both  the  words  and  music,  was 
suggested  by  the  following  graphic  description  of  a 
shipwreck :  — 

"  We  watched  the  wreck  with  great  anxiety.  The 
life-boat  had  been  out  some  hours,  but  could  not  reach 
the  vessel  through  the  great  breakers  that  raged  and 
foamed  on  the  sand-bank.  The  boat  appeared  to  be 
leaving  the  crew  to  perish ;  but  in  a  few  minutes  the 
captain  and  sixteen  sailors  were  taken  off,  and  the  ves- 
sel went  down. 


272  LIFE  OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 

"  4  When  the  life-boat  came  to  you,  did  you  expect  it 
had  brought  some  tools  to  repair  your  old  ship?'  said  I. 
— ■  Oh,  no  !  she  was  a  total  wreck.  Two  of  her  masts 
were  gone,  and  if  we  had  staid  mending  her,  only  a 
few  minutes,  we  must  have  gone  down,  sir.'  —  'When 
once  off  the  old  wreck,  and  safe  in  the  life-boat,  what 
remained  for  you  to  do  ?  '  — '  Nothing,  sir,  but  just  to 
pull  for  the  shore.'  " 

Spiritualizing  this  incident,  Mr.  Bliss  brought  forth 
in  a  moment  of  musical  and  poetical  inspiration,  his 
effective  song,  which  with  its  spirited  chorus,  — 

11  Pull  for  the  shore,  sailor,  pull  for  the  shore  : 
Heed  not  the  rolling  waves,  but  bend  to  the  oar  ; 
Safe  in  the  life-boat,  sailor,  cling  to  self  no  more  : 
Leave  the  poor  old  stranded  wreck,  and  pull  for  the  shore," — 

now  goes  echoing  round  the  world.  Charles  Dibdin 
wrote  nine  hundred  songs,  the  most  of  them  pertaining 
to  the  sea,  but  none  with  the  Christian  ring  of  this  by 
Mr.  Bliss.  And  sweet  it  was  to  hear,  on  a  passage 
from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  its  cheering  notes  pealing 
thi'  tongues  of  sailors  over  the  deep. 

The  beautiful  song  "'More  to  follow,"  of  which  he 
composed  both  the  words  and  music,  was  founded  on 
the  following  incident  related  by  his  friend  D.  L. 
Moody  in  one  of  his  stirring  addresses  :  — 

"  A  vast  fortune  was  left  in  the  hands  of  a  minister 
for  one  of  his  poor  parishioners.  Fearing  that  it  might 
be   squandered  if  suddenly  bestowed   upon   him,  the 


EFFECTS   OF   HIS   MUSIC.  273 

wise  minister  sent  him  a  little  at  a  time  with  a  note 
saying,  '  This  is  thine ;  use  it  wisely :  there  is  more  to 
follow.'  Brethren,  that's  just  the  way  the  Lord  deals 
with  us." 

The  idea  is  beautifully  spiritualized  in  the  words  of 
the  song :  — 

1 '  Have  you  on  the  Lord  believed  ? 
Still  there's  more  to  follow. 
Of  his  grace  have  you  received  ? 
Still  there's  more  to  follow." 

And  the  tune  in  sextuple  time  finely  expresses  the  hope 
of  the  Christian  for  blessings  yet  to  come. 

The  charming  song,  with  its  effective  chorus,  — 

' '  Will  you  meet  me  at  the  fountain, 
When  I  reach  the  glory-land  ?  "  — 

was  suggested  to  him  by  the  common  invitation  at  one 
of  the  Expositions. 

How  many  souls  the  precious  songs  of  Mr.  Bliss, 
through  Christ,  have  turned  and  will  still  turn  away 
from  sin  ;  how  many  burdened  hearts  they  have  most 
sweetly  comforted,  and  still  will  comfort,  —  never  can 
be  known  till  the  grand  harvest-home.  It  is  one  of  the 
tenderest  tokens  of  our  heavenly  Father's  love,  to  send 
into  this  world  such  harbingers  of  the  felicity  of  the 
land  of  song  beyond  the  river.  To  cite  the  instances  of 
the  salutary  effects  of  the  delightful  strains  of  Mr.  Bliss 
would  fill  a  volume.  Such  as  these  are  every  day 
occurring :    A  man  had  organized  a  Sunday  school  in 


274 


LIFE   OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 


Missouri.  He  sung  to  the  little  company  one  day  the 
hopeful  song  of  Mr.  Bliss,  "I  am  so  glad  that  Jesus 
loves  me,"  and  then  put  the  question,  "  Are  you  glad 
that  Jesus  loves  you  ?  " 

A  young  man,  rising  instantly,  came  and  threw  his 
arms  around  the  singer's  neck,  and  sobbing  said,  "  You 
must  not  go  away  till  I  am  a  Christian."  Prayer  was 
offered,  when  he  exclaimed,  "  Oh  that  song!  I  could 
not  get  away  from  it,  and  it  has  saved  me  !  " 

What  if  his  music  does  not  meet  the  demands  of  art  ? 
It  surely  meets  the  wants  of  the  overburdened  and 
the  sorrowful ;  it  moves  the  hearts  of  the  multitudes 
to  a  higher  life ;  and  this,  I  apprehend,  is  the  grand 
design  of  song.  Mr.  Bliss  had  the  genius  to  give  the 
people  what  they  wanted,  what  they  needed ;  and  so 
performed  a  glorious  mission. 

Mrs.  Bliss  wrote  the  hymns,  "  We  are  marching 
to  Canaan  with  Banner  and  Song,"  and  "  I  will  love 
Jesus,  and  serve  Him,"  under  the  assumed  name  of 
"Paulina;"  she  also  composed  the  music  for  the  latter, 
as  well  as  the  fine  air  for  the  "  Rock  of  Ages." 

In  1875  Mr.  Bliss  published,  in  conjunction  with  his 
friend  Ira  D.  Sankey,  "  The  Gospel  Hymns  and  Sacred 
Songs,"  which  were  used  in  the  revival  work  at  Brook- 
lyn, New  York,  and  Philadelphia.  An  immense  num- 
ber of  copies  was  sold ;  but  the  royalty  thereon, 
amounting  to  about  sixty  thousand  dollars,  was  by  the 
compilers  devoted  to  charitable  purposes.  On  being 
urged  by  Mr.  Moody  to  reserve  at  least  five  thousand 


"  GOSPEL   HYMNS   NO.  2."  275 

dollars  for  himself  and  family,  Mr.  Bliss  replied,  "  It 
must  all  go  for  the  advancement  of  the  work  of  the 
Lord."  This  book  has  been  in  part  translated  into  the 
Chinese  language  ;  and  some  of  the  hymns,  as,  "  Hold 
the  Fort,"  are  sung  in  several  of  the  other  Pagan 
nations.  The  beautiful  hymn  by  Mrs.  Bliss,  "  We're 
going  Home  To-morrow,"  for  which  her  husband  wrote 
the  music,  appears  in  this  collection. 

"  The  Gospel  Hymns  No.  2,"  compiled  by  Messrs. 
Bliss  and  Sankey,  who  fed,  as  it  were,  on  angels'  food 
while  working  over  it,  was  just  completed  when  Mr. 
Bliss  and  wife  were  called  to  leave  their  labors  here 
for  the  great  song-world  above.  It  contains  one  hymn, 
"  Hold  fast  till  I  come,"  by  Mrs.  Bliss  ;  and  the  tune 
is  the  last  one  written  by  her  husband.  Mr.  Bliss  was 
noted  for  his  gentleness,  humilhy ,  and  fervent  piety.  His 
heart  was  a  fountain  of  good-nature  and  of  spiritual  joy. 
He  was  wont  to  pray  over  his  music,  and  seemed  never 
so  happy  as  when  it  was  moving  the  souls  of  men  to 
come  to  Jesus.     His  prayer  in  verse  was,  — 

"  More  purity  give  me,  — 

More  strength  to  o'ercome, 
More  freedom  from  earth-stains, 
More  longings  for  home." 

To  one  writing  to  him  in  respect  to  "  Waiting  and 
Watching  for  me,"  for  which  he  composed  the  music, 
he  replied,  "  No,  I  don't  seem  to  rest  much  in  the 
hope  of  seeing  a  throng  of  heavenly  ones  waiting  and 


276  LIFE   OF   MR.   P.    P.   BLISS. 


watching  for  me.  They  might  be  in  better  business. 
Nor  of  hearing  echoes  of  my  songs  there.  I  want 
something  better.  The  best  things  about  heaven,  it 
seems  to  me,  will  be  eternal  freedom  from  sin,  and  the 
immediate  presence  of  Jesus. 

•  There  we  shall  see  his  face, 
And  never,  never  sin.'  " 

Mrs.  Bliss  was  an  estimable  lady,  well  educated,  and 
always  ready  to  assist  her  husband  in  his  studies  and 
his  Christian  work.  They  were  most  happy  in  their 
union,  as  well  as  in  their  children,  and  their  modest 
home  which  they  appropriately  called  "  The  Cottage  of 
Content." 

"  I  think  the  last  time  I  joined  in  song  with  them," 
says  Mr.  W.  F.  Sherwin  in  "  The  Christian  Union," 
"  we  were  under  the  grand  old  trees  at  Chautauqua. 
A  sister  of  Mr.  Bliss  (a  soprano),  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bliss  and  myself,  made  up  the  quartet.  They  were 
about  leaving.  We  turned  to  his  song,  c  Meet  me  at 
the  Fountain,'  and  Mr.  Bliss  sung  with  unusual  sweet- 
ness the  solo,  — 

i  Will  you  meet  me  at  the  fountain, 
When  I  reach  the  glory-land  ?  ' 

And  we  together  responded  for  the  last  time,  — 

'  Yes,  we'll  meet  you  at  the  fountain.' 

The  emotions  were  too  deep  for  utterance,  while  with 
uncovered  heads  we  bowed  at  the  rustic  seat,  and  Mr. 


REMARKS   ON  CHURCH  MUSIC.  277 

Bliss  offered  a  fervent  but  peculiarly  sweet  and  tender 
prayer,  that,  if  we  should  not  stand  to  sing  again  on  the 
banks  of  the  beautiful  lake  1  which  shimmered  in  the 
sunlight  before  us,  we  might  meet  4  beyond  the  river, 
by  and  by.'  " 

At  one  of  the  Sunday-school  meetings  held  in  Chau- 
tauqua, at  which  there  was  an  audience  of  three  thou- 
sand persons,  he  sung  his  beautiful  heart-song,  — 

11  Almost  persuaded  now  to  believe, 

Almost  persuaded  Christ  to  receive,"  — 

with  such  effect  that  the  profound  silence  which  ensued 
was  broken  only  by  the  sobbing  which  arose  from 
various  parts  of  the  assembly. 

At "  The  Sunday-school  Parliament "  held  on  Welles- 
ley  Island  in  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  in  1876,  Mr. 
Bliss  justly  said  respecting  church  music,  "  That  which 
ought  to  have  the  greatest  emphasis  just  now,  in  regard 
to  sacred  music,  is  the  need  of  greater  reverence. 
"While  a  song  is  being  sung,  people  will  pass  up  a 
church  aisle  or  a  Sunday-school  aisle,  whisper  to  each 
other,  move  about  the  room,  distribute  or  collect 
library-books,  put  on  overcoats,  or  do  a  score  of  other 

1  Chautauqua  Lake  is  a  fair  expanse  of  water,  eighteen  miles  loug, 
and  from  one  to  three  miles  wide,  in  the  south-west  extremity  of  the 
State  of  Xew  York.  It  is  ahout  seven  hundred  and  thirty  feet  ahove 
Lake  Erie,  and  is  said  to  be  the  highest  navigable  sheet  of  water  on  this 
continent.  The  name  signifies  in  the  Indian  language,  "a  misty  place," 
in  allusion  to  the  fogs  by  which,  from  its  elevated  situation,  it  is  often 
covered.    It  is  abont  five  miles  distant  from  Lake  Erie. 


278  LIFE   OF   MB.    F.    P.    BLISS. 

things  that  one  would  never  think  of  doing  during 
any  other  kind  of  prayer.  When  we  are  offering  praise 
or  prayer  to  God  in  metre,  as  much  as  if  we  were  doing 
it  upon  our  knees,  a  reverence  of  manner  and  of  spirit 
should  accompany  ir.  Another  thing  to  be  enforced  in 
connection  with  singing  is  a  greater  thoughtful ness  in 
regard  to  the  meaning  of  what  we  sing.  Are  the  words 
prayer,  or  praise  ?  Let  appropriate  thought,  as  well  as 
appropriate  melody,  accompany  the  words."' 

The  following  letter,  showing  the  anxiety  of  Mr. 
Bliss  for  his  unconverted  friends,  was  written  by  him 
to  a  business  man  in  Chicago  whose  death  had  been 
erroneously  reported :  — 

Kala^iazoo,  !Mich.,  Xov.  7. 

"  Dear  Friend,  —  About  a  year  ago  I  wrote  you  a 
personal  letter  about  good  things,  urging  upon  your 
attention  what  you  must  know  is  the  most  important 
business  in  the  world,  —  eternal  life.  We  have  been 
praying  for  }~ou  ever  since  ;  and  I  believe  that  in  your 
good-will  toward  me,  you  will  not  be  offended  if  I 
venture  one  more  letter  from  my  heart.  I  admire  your 
kindness  of  heart,  and  want  to  thank  you  for  your 
favors  to  us.  I  love  you  as  a  brother ;  and,  having  no 
brother  of  my  own,  wish  I  could  have  you  in  every  thing 
to  commune  with. 

k*  Isn't  it  business  wisdom  to  lay  up  abiding  riches  in 
the  other  world,  where  we  must  so  soon  appear  ?  Is  it 
the  fair  and  honest  thing  not  to  confess  one's  faith  in 
Him  who  has  done  so  much  for  us  ?     Pardon  me  if 


A  PROPHECY.  279 

disagreeable ;  but,  dear  brother,  when  I  read  of  your 

death  in  the  papers  last  spring,  I  wished  I  had  done 

more  to  bring  you  to  Christ,  my  blessed  Master.     Will 

you  be  a  follower  of  Jesus  ? 

"  Do  not  feel  obliged  to  answer  this  to  me.     I  have 

prayed  the  Lord  to  follow  it  with  his  Spirit,  and  lead 

you  to  answer  it  to  him,  as  you  will  be  glad  through 

all  eternity. 

"  Your  loving  brother,  P.  P.  B." 

It  had  been  arranged  that  on  the  departure  of  Messrs. 
Moody  and  Sankey,  Major  Whittle  and  Mr.  Bliss  should 
carry  on  the  evangelism  at  the  Tabernacle  in  Chicago  ; 
but  this  was  by  a  most  terrible  accident  prevented. 
The  last  time  Mr.  Bliss  sung  at  the  Moody  and  Sankey 
meetings  there,  he  said,  —  as  it  afterwards  appeared 
almost  prophetically,  —  "I  don't  know  as  I  shall  ever 
sing  here  again ;  but  I  want  to  sing  this  as  the  language 
of  my  heart,  — 

'  I  know  not  the  hour  my  Lord  will  come, 
To  take  me  away  to  his  own  dear  home.; 
But  I  know  that  his  presence  will  lighten  the  gloom, 
And  that  will  be  glory  for  me.'  " 

With  Mrs.  Bliss  he  went  to  Towanda,  on  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  in  Pennsylvania,  to  spend  Christmas 
with  his  mother.  On  Thursday,  the  28th  of  December, 
he  with  his  wife  bade  their  relatives  and  friends  at 
Towanda  and  Rome  farewell,  and  started  for  Chicago. 
The  engine  breaking  caused  them  to  take  a  later  train, 


280  LIFE   OF  MR.   P.    P.   BLISS. 

on  board  of  which  Mr.  Bliss  was  observed  to  be 
engaged  in  composing,  with  the  Bible  and  a  pencil  in 
his  hand,  a  piece  of  music.  When  the  train  with  its 
two  engines,  on  the  evening  of  Friday  the  29th,  and 
in  the  midst  of  a  terrible  snowstorm,  was  crossing  the 
Ashtabula  bridge1  between  Erie  and  Cleveland,  the 
iron  structure  and  the  cars  upon  it  fell  with  a  horrid 
crash,  some  seventy  feet  or  more,  into  the  stream  below. 

The  passengers  were  in  an  instant  buried  in  the 
dreadful  wreck,  to  perish  by  the  concussion  or  the 
flames  which  in  a  few  moments  left  but  a  mass  of  black 
and  smouldering  ruins  in  the  stream.  A  few  of  the 
people  escaped,  but  the  bodies  of  the  most  of  them 
were  so  consumed  that  it  was  not  possible  to  identify 
the  remains.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Bliss  rose  from  the 
ruins,  but  returning  to  extricate  his  wife  shared  her 
untimely  fate.  The  news  of  the  death  of  these  be- 
loved singers  brought  sincere  grief  to  every  Christian 
heart. 

The  following  telegram  was  sent  from  Philadel- 
phia :  — 

"  Philadelphia,  Jan.  1. 

"  Moody  and  Sankey, —  The  brethren  of  the  East 
send   tenderest  sympathies  in  overwhelming   bereave- 

1  This  iron-truss  bridge  over  the  Ashtabula  Creek,  near  its  entrance 
into  Lake  Erie,  was,  like  the  old  Pemberton  Mill  at  Lawrence,  Mass., 
but  a  mere  trap  for  the  destruction  of  human  life.  The  weakness  of 
both  these  sham  structures  was  pointed  out  in  the  beginning  by  the 
architects;  but  such  is  the  greed  for  gain,  that  the  public  safety  is  know- 
ingly, constantly  and  shamefully  compromised  for  the  almighty  dollar. 


LETTER   OF  CONDOLENCE.  281 

ment  of  our  beloved  brethren.  Bliss  and  wife.  *  Only 
remembered  by  what  I  have  done.'  Sudden  death, 
sudden  glory. 

"  Stuart,  Wannamaker,  and  Needbam." 

The  next  day  Mr.  Moody  received  this  sad  intelli- 
gence from  Mr.  H.  W.  Stager  of  Cleveland :  — 

"  Ashtabula,  Jan.  2. 

"  The  last  hope  is  gone  of  finding  any  thing  of  our 
dear  friends  Bliss  and  wife.  Every  thing  has  been  done 
that  human  power  can  do.  There  is  no  other  conclu- 
sion to  be  reached,  but  that  all  in  that  car  were  entirely 
consumed.  I  have  found  nothing  but  a  hand  and  a  few 
fragments  of  bodies  to-day,  but  quite  a  number  of  arti- 
cles of  wearing-apparel,  both  male  and  female,  quite  a 
number  of  which  have  been  identified  by  friends,  but 
none  by  Major  Whittle  as  belonging  to  Mr.  Bliss  or 
wife. 

"  To-morrow  will  probably  end  one  of  the  saddest 
tasks  it  has  been  my  lot  to  perform,  or  to  be  imagined." 

The  following  tender  letter  of  condolence,  expressing 
the  deep  sympathy  of  Christians  in  Chicago,  was  for- 
warded to  the  widowed  mother  of  Mr.  Bliss  :  — 

Chicago,  Jan.  3. 
Mrs.  Bliss.     Dear  Madam,  —  As  the  representatives  of  thou- 
sands of  Christian  people  in  this  city  and  its  immediate  vicinity, 
permit  us  to  express  to  you  the  affectionate  and  prayerful  sympa- 
thy with  which  all  our  hearts  gather  about  you  in  this  sad  hour. 


282  LIFE   OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 

We  feel  painfully  how  inadequate  the  most  loving  of  human 
words  are  to  lift  or  lighten  the  burden  of  such  a  grief.  We  do  not 
seek  to  do  this  :  rather  we  commend  you  afresh,  as  we  have  done 
already  in  our  homes,  our  prayer  gatherings,  our  sabbath  services, 
to  Him  who  is  a  refuge  from  the  storm,  a  covert  from  the  tempest, 
and  whose  divine  pledge  is  that  none  of  them  that  trust  in  Him 
shall  be  desolate.  But  we  have  thought  that  among  the  tributes  to 
this  beloved  son's  character  and  work  upon  which  your  thought  will 
love  to  linger,  it  would  be  pleasant  to  you  to  have  a  word  of  testi- 
mony as  to  how  dear  he  had  become  to  us.  We  feel  this  affliction 
to  be  peculiarly  personal  to  us  and  to  those  whom  we  represent. 
The  songs  of  this  dear  brother  are  in  many  of  our  churches,  our 
Sunday  schools,  our  homes  :  and  they  are  there  as  among  the  most 
precious  helps  the  Lord  has  given  to  our  Christian  life  and  service. 
They  have  given  peculiar  and  blessed  inspiration  to  our  gatherings 
for  prayer;  for  they  have  rung  in  our  ears  so  tenderly  the  call  of 
duty,  have  urged  us  so  tenderly  to  reconsecration,  have  put  in  our 
lips  petitions  so  earnest  for  God's  aid,  have  held  up  before  us  so 
attractively  the  satisfactions  to  be  realized,  the  joys,  the  glory  to 
be  won,  that  doubts  and  gloom  have  been  often  banished,  sloth 
broken  up,  the  things  of  faith  more  clearly  apprehended  and 
rejoiced  in,  the  life  of  faith,  and  prayer,  and  toil  for  Christ  more 
zealously  taken  up,  more  faithfully  carried  on. 

They  have  had  like  ministry  in  our  sabbath  schools  ;  no  songs 
have  more  quickly  reached  and  more  powerfully  moved  the  chil- 
dren. Hundreds  and  even  thousands  have  been  won  by  them  not 
only  to  sing  for  Jesus,  but  to  accept  the  call  of  Him  of  Xazareth, 
and  can  say  to-day  from  the  heart,  as  they  do  with  their  lips,  — 

"Hallelujah,  'tis  done  ! 
I  believe  on  the  Son  ; 
I  am  saved  by  the  blood  of  the  crucified  One." 

And  in  our  family  circles  these  sweet  songs  have  been  a 
perpetual  joy.      Times  without  number  they  have  comforted  the 


LETTER   OF  CONDOLENCE.  283 

bereaved,  cheered  the  discouraged,  strengthened  the  weak,  bright- 
ened as  with  the  light  of  heaven  the  faces  of  the  dying. 

Dear  madam,  as  we  recall  these  things  we  cannot  but  lift  up 
thanksgiving  in  the  midst  of  our  tears  for  God's  gift  of  this  servant 
to  his  Church  in  the  latter  days  ;  and  we  feel  that  God  has  greatly 
honored  you,  as  he  honored  the  mother  of  Samuel  and  the  mother 
of  David,  in  giving  you  such  a  treasure,  and  through  your  prayers 
and  Christian  nurture  preparing  him  for  such  a  glorious  ministry 
of  winning  souls.  We  rejoice  also  for  the  work  which  he  is  yet 
to  do.  Although  he  rests  from  his  labors,  through  all  the  ages  to 
come  his  works  will  follow  him.  Already  these  gospel  songs  are 
sung  round  the  world;  yet  their  mission  is  only  begun.  As  the 
years  roll  on,  like  the  handful  of  seed  dropped  in  the  furrow  they 
shall  yield  increasing  harvest,  till  from  all  lands  and  kindreds 
and  tongues  there  shall  come  up  a  mighty  throng  to  cast  their 
crowns  at  the  feet  of  that  dear  Lord  whose  dying  love  it  was  our 
dear  brother's  highest  joy  to  magnify. 

We  do  not  forget  how  lonely  the  way  will  be  unto  which  you 
are  called  by  this  Providence.  But  though  this  beloved  son's  arm, 
upon  which  you  hoped  to  lean  in  these  declining  years,  has  been 
struck  down,  a  stronger  arm,  a  surer  support,  still  remains;  and  in 
the  kingdom  of  the  Shepherd  of  Israel  your  feet  will  not  stumble. 
Though  the  face  you  had  so  loved  to  look  upon  is  withdrawn,  the 
face  of  One  altogether  lovely  will  shine  ever  in  its  place.  Though 
the  voice  so  full  of  music  to  your  ears  is  hushed,  the  voice  that 
spake  as  never  man  spoke,  and  to  hear  which  all  heaven  would 
keep  glad  silence,  will  speak  unceasingly  to  your  heart.  And 
evermore  before  you  and  the  dear  children  so  bereft  will  be  the 
vision  of  the  beloved  gone  before,  and  of  the  welcome  that  awaits 
your  coming  at  the  gate  of  the  city. 

As  we  speak  these  words  there  comes  to  us  one  of  the  songs,  that, 
like  the  precious  Scripture  lyric  of  which  it  was  born,  has  been 
blessed  of  God  to  many  a  weary  pilgrim.     May  its  cheering,  hope- 


284  LITE   OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 

f  ul  words  minister  strength  to  you  as  to  those  -who  listened  to  it 
from  the  lips  now  sealed  to  human  ears !  — 

"  Through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  I  must  go, 

Where  the  cold  waves  of  Jordan  roll; 
But  the  promise  of  my  Shepherd  will,  I  know, 

Be  the  rod  and  the  staff  of  my  soul. 
Even  now  down  the  valley  as  I  glide, 

I  can  hear  my  Saviour  say,  '  Follow  me ! ' 
And  with  him  I'm  not  afraid  to  cross  the  tide: 

There's  a  light  in  the  valley  for  me. 


Now  the  rolling  of  the  hillows  I  can  hear, 

As  they  beat  on  the  turf-bound  shore, 
But  the  beacon-light  of  love  so  bright  and  clear 

Guides  my  bark  frail  and  low  safely  o'er. 
I  shall  find  down  the  valley  no  alarms, 

For  my  Saviour's  blessed  smile  I  can  see; 
He  will  bear  me  in  his  loving,  mighty  arms: 

There's  a  light  in  the  valley  for  me." 

We  wish  also  to  express  through  you  our  most  sincere  and 
prayerful  sympathy  with  the  parents  of  our  beloved  sister,  Mrs. 
Bliss.  Some  of  us  have  known  how  peculiarly  identified  with  her 
husband  she  was  in  all  his  work  for  Christ.  And  no  testimony 
could  be  more  beautiful  than  that  which  he  so  often  bore  to  the 
cheerfulness  with  which  she  accepted  the  separations  from  home 
which  his  evangelistic  life  necessitated,  and  the  loving  encourage- 
ment and  aid,  alike  by  counsel,  pen,  and  voice,  which  it  was  her 
delight  to  render.  Lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives,  in  their 
death  they  were  not  divided.  And  through  all  future  years,  while 
their  memories  will  be  alike  cherished,  their  labors  will  be  alike 
fruitful. 

And  now,  dear  madam,  we  commend  you  all,  and  especially 
these  dear  children,  to  the  tender  care,  the  unfailing  guardianship, 
of  Him  whose  mercies  never  fail.     May  the  peace  of  God,  winch 


LETTER   OF  CONDOLENCE.  285 

passeth  all  understanding,  keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  And  through  Him  who  is 
the  resurrection  and  the  life,  may  we  all  be  gathered  with  these 
beloved  in  the  home  where  "  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
our  eyes,  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor 
crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain ;  for  the  former  things 
are  passed  away. ' ' 

In  the  bonds  and  consolations  of  the  gospel  we  are  affection- 
ately yours, 

Edward  P.  Goodwin, 

First  Congregational  Church. 
Charles  Edward  Cheney, 

Christ  Church. 

M.    M.    PxiRKHURST, 

Clark-street  Methodist  Ejnscopal  Church. 
W.  AV.  Everts, 

First  Baptist  Church. 
W.  J.  Petrie, 

Church  of  our  Saviour. 

On  the  sabbath  following  the  disaster,  memorial  ser- 
vices were  held  at  Chicago  in  the  Tabernacle,  which 
was  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity.  They  consisted 
mainly  of  the  singing  of  the  hymns  of  the  deceased, 
interspersed  with  brief  remarks  and  prayers. 

Mr.  Moody  said,  "  The  hymns  of  Mr.  Bliss  are  such 
as  he  was  himself,  full  of  life  and  cheer.  In  all  the 
years  I  have  known  and  worked  with  him,  I  have 
never  once  seen  him  cast  down :  here  is  a  hymn  of  his 
I  think  we  may  sing.  It  begins,  4  Brightly  beams  our 
Father's  mercy.'  Yet  still  more  brightly  beams  the 
light  along  the  shore   to  which  he   has  passed.     My 


286  LIFE   OF  MR.   P.   P.   BLISS. 

heart  goes  out  for  his  mother.  He  was  an  only  son, 
and  his  mother  is  a  widow.  Let  us  just  put  up  a  prayer 
for  this  mother.  And  there  was  dear  Mrs.  Bliss,  who 
was  not  one  inch  behind  her  husband.  She  taught 
him  how  to  pray,  and  encouraged  him  with  his  music. 
I  have  often  heard  him  say,  •  All  I  am  I  owe  to  that 
dear  wife.'  It  was  in  the  midst  of  a  terrible  storm  that 
he  passed  away ;  but  the  lights  which  he  kindled  are 
burning  all  along  the  shore.  He  has  died  young ;  but 
his  hymns  are  sung  round  the  world." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Goodwin  said,  "  The  other  day  I  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  a  missionary  in  South  Africa.  He 
said  he  was  going  out,  some  time  ago,  to  establish  a 
new  mission;  and,  taking  refuge  in  a  Zulu  hut,  the  first 
thing  he  heard  was  4  Hold  the  Fort,'  sung  in  the  Zulu 
language." 

Meetings  were  held  in  many  other  cities,  commem- 
orative of  the  death  and  characters  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bliss.  Dr.  Goodwin  (of  whose  church  Mr.  Bliss  was  a 
member)  preached  a  funeral  sermon  at  Rome ;  and  in 
Boston,  Jan.  7,  a  meeting  in  memoriam  was  held  in  the 
hall  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  which 
was  overcrowded.  Dr.  Eben  Tourje'e  led  the  music, 
which  was  confined  to  the  singing  of  the  hymns  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bliss.  Remarks  were  made  by  the  Rev.  M. 
R.  Deming  on  the  power  of  the  gospel  songs  which  they 
had  composed,  and  on  the  loss  to  the  church  by  the 
death  of  these  gifted  singers.  "  The  Tribune  "  as 
kindly  as  beautifully  paid  this  tribute  to  Mr.  Bliss  :  — 


287 


"  He  has  been  Mr.  Moody's  right  arm  ;  for  Mr.  Sankey 
has  chiefly  sung  the  songs  which  the  dead  singer  com- 
posed and  used  to  sing.  He  is  dead,  but  he  lives  again ; 
lives  in  the  Sunday  school,  in  the  church,  in  the  revival, 
in  the  foreign  missions,  in  the  heart  of  every  man  and 
woman  striving  for  something  higher  and  better,  wher- 
ever men  preach  Christ,  and  sinners  seek  repentance. 

"  It  takes  much  from  the  sadness  of  the  singer's 
awful  death,  that  his  life  was  so  rounded  and  complete. 
His  work  had  been  so  well  done  that  death  could  not 
surprise  him,  and  find  him  with  his  mission  unaccom- 
plished. He  had  made  his  mark,  and  the  mark  will 
remain.  His  life  has  stopped,  but  his  work  goes  on  in 
every  church  and  in  every  home  all  over  the  world ; 
and  years  from  now,  when  even  his  name  may  be  lost, 
his  songs  will  still  continue  to  inspire  faltering  men 
and  women  with  courage,  to  bring  consolation  into  the 
house  of  mourning,  to  arouse  faith  in  the  human  heart. 
For  such  a  life,  so  perfect,  so  successful,  so  far-reaching 
in  its  influences,  spent  in  the  most  beneficent  of  labor, 
and  lost  at  the  post  of  duty,  there  should  be  no  tears. 
Other  voices  will  take  up  his  strains,  and  the  work  will 
go  on  without  stop.  Their  simple  beauty  is  not  marred, 
nor  is  their  wonderful  influence  upon  the  popular  heart 
lessened  by  his  death.  Noble  and  impressive  in  his 
physique,  affable  and  genial  in  his  conduct  with  every 
one,  earnest  and  untiring  in  his  work,  he  will  long  be 
missed  as  a  leader  in  the  evangelical  movement  which 
is  now  stirring  the  popular  heart ;  but  he  has  left  his 


288  LIFE   OF   MR.   P.    P.    BLISS. 

impress  upon  the  world,  with  results  more  lasting  than 
the  work  achieved  by  heroes  of  the  battle-field  or  mas- 
ters of  state-craft.  His  harp  is  forever  silent,  his  voice 
forever  hushed ;  but  the  songs  which  he  sung  can  never 
die.     Their  melody,  like  the  brook,  goes  on  forever." 

He  left  two  children,  George  G.  and  Paul  P. ;  the 
one  about  two,  and  the  other  about  four  years  old. 
For  them  Mr.  Moody  raised  at  once  by  subscription 
the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  also  a  liberal  sum 
for  the  mother  of  Mr.  Bliss.  The  father  of  Mrs.  P.  P. 
Bliss  is  still  living,  at  Rome,  Penn. 

In  his  personal  appearance  Mr.  Bliss  was  remarkably 
prepossessing  ;  in  his  manners,  affable,  obliging,  and 
polite.  "  He  was  tall  and  well  developed  in  his  phys- 
ical frame,"  says  one  who  knew  him  intimately,  "  with 
clustering  black  hair  and  a  handsome  face ;  possessing 
easy  and  polished  manners  and  a  very  joyous  tempera- 
ment, together  with  a  wealth  of  sympathy."  His  songs 
and  poetry  breathe  the  spirit  of  his  own  bright  and 
joyous  disposition,  the  movement  of  the  music  being 
lively,  and  the  minor  key  but  seldom  introduced. 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  Jesus  loves  me,"  — 

with  its  light  sextuple  measure,  well  represents  his 
genial  and  loving  nature.  It  could  have  come  only 
from  a  heart  aglow  with  life  and  joy  in  the  Redeemer. 
Mrs.  Bliss,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  was 
a  fitting  companion  of  such  a  noble  man.  With  fine 
natural  abilities  improved  by  culture,  with  an  affluence 


PERSONAL  TRAITS   OF  MR.   BLISS.  289 

of  good-nature,  a  lively  imagination,  and  a  spirit  sancti- 
fied by  religion,  she  made  his  home  and  public  life 
happy ;  dividing  his  sorrow  and  doubling  his  joy.  In 
life  they  were  as  one,  in  death  they  were  not  divided. 
The  pictures  which  the  artist  has  here  given  of  them, 
says  Mr.  Sankey  in  a  letter  lying  before  me,  "  are  very 
good,  especially  the  one  of  Mrs.  Bliss."  The  scene  of 
the  dreadful  accident  by  which  they  lost  their  lives  is 
vividly  presented  at  the  bottom  of  the  portraits.  A 
penny  contribution  has  been  taken  up  in  the  sabbath 
schools  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  in  honor  of  the 
lamented  singers.  But  their  noblest  and  most  enduring 
monument  is  the  beautiful  Christian  hymns  and  tunes 
they  have  composed.  These  will  still  ring  on,  comfort- 
ing and  consoling  many,  and  embalming  the  names 
of  the  authors  in  the  hearts  of  millions  of  the  heirs  of 
glory. 

In  his  own  sweet  words  we  may  say  that  these  two 
loved  ones,  whose  rich  music  fills  so  many  souls  with 
gladness,  are  now  singing  sweeter  songs,  — 

11  Safe  in  a  land  immortal, 

Safe  in  a  country  rare, 
Safe  in  a  heavenly  portal, 

Safe  in  a  mansion  fair; 
Safe  with  the  joys  supernal, 

Safe  with  the  blest  to  bow, 
Safe  with  the  Love  eternal, 

Safe  with  the  Master  now." 


'/t^TX^Lt 


DR.  EBEN  TOURJEE. 

This  distinguished  musical  director,  whose  services 
materially  enhance  the  interest  of  the  revival  at  the 
Tabernacle  in  Boston,  was  born  in  Warwick,  R.I.,  on 
the  first  day  of  June,  1834,  and  is  consequently  forty- 
two  years  of  age.  He  is  of  Huguenot  descent,  his 
ancestors  having,  in  company  with  the  Tourtelottes, 
Mauneys,  and  other  French  families,  settled  in  Rhode 
Island  soon  after  the  famous  Edict  of  Nantes  by  which 
the  Protestants  of  France  were  compelled  to  seek  for 
safety  in  foreign  lands.  He  is  the  son  of  Ebenezer  and 
Anne  D.  (Ball)  Tourjee,  and  is  through  Ebenezer5, 
Jeremiah4,  John3,  and  Peter2,  of  the  sixth  generation 
from  Peter  \  the  original  settler.  He  early  evinced  a  re- 
markable fondness  for  music.  The  ringing  of  bells,  the 
sounds  of  the  fife  and  drum,  the  tones  of  the  organ, 
filled  his  soul  with  delight ;  and  such  was  the  correct- 
ness of  his  ear  that  he  was  generally  called  upon  to 
give  the  pitch  of  the  tunes  sung  in  the  sabbath  school. 
Having  religious  parents,  and  a  mental  organization 
keenly  alive  to  good  impressions,  he  was  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years  converted  to  Christ,  and  soon  afterwards 
became  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  of  which 

291 


292  LIFE   OF  DR.  EBEN  TOURJEE. 

the  Rev.  George  M.  Brewster  was  then  the  pastor.  As 
an  alto  singer  in  the  choir,  he  learned  by  rote  the  com- 
mon psalm-tunes  then  in  vogue,  but  had  no  knowledge 
of  music  as  an  art.  The  following  circumstance,  how- 
ever, led  him  to  determine  to  make  of  it  a  life-study. 
A  daughter  of  Gov.  Elisha  Harris  was  the  organist  of 
the  church  at  Harrisville  (Warwick),  and  was  about  to 
be  married.  The  governor,  who  had  observed  the  musi- 
cal ability  of  young  Tourjee,  then  thirteen  years  of  age, 
and  in  his  employ,  said  to  him  on  a  certain  Wednesday 
evening,  "  I  wish  you  would  learn  to  play  the  organ 
soon  as  possible.  Here  is  the  key."  The  lad  had 
never  played  on  that  or  any  other  instrument ;  but 
the  key  was  in  his  trembling  hand :  it  was  the  key 
to  his  fortune.  He  longed  to  touch  the  instrument; 
he  feared  he  could  not  play  it.  He  did  not  dare 
refuse  the  governor ;  indeed,  he  did  not  wish  to  do  it, 
for  his  fingers  burned  to  touch  the  instrument.  He 
unlocked  it,  looked  at  the  ivory  keys,  but  knew  not 
which  were  high  or  low.  He  touched  them,  and  the 
tones  responded  to  his  wishes.  He  soon  made  out  the 
air  of  "  Greenville,"  then  added  to  it  the  bass  ;  and  so 
the  hope  came  fluttering  over  him,  that  he  might  possi- 
bly prepare  himself  for  the  services  of  the  coming  sab- 
bath. On  the  succeeding  evenings  of  the  week  he 
learned  to  play  "  Chimes,"  "  Naomi,"  and  "  Lanesboro'," 
and  thus  with  his  four  tunes  went  creditably  through 
his  part  of  the  sacred  services.  He  was  soon  appointed 
organist  of  the  church ;  and  this  enabled  him  to  go  to 


LIFE   OF  DR.   EBEN  TOUKJEE.  293 

Providence,  thirteen  miles  distant,  and  take  lessons  in 
music  of  Mr.  Henry  Eastcott,  who  thus  had  the  honor 
of  initiating  him  into  the  mysteries  of  his  beloved  art. 
He  sometimes  walked  the  whole  distance  ;  and  his  prac- 
tice was  on  the  organ  in  the  old  Round  Top  Church.  At 
the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  became  a  clerk  in  the  music 
store  of  Mr.  E.  W.  Billings  of  Providence,  with  whom 
he  remained  two  years,  enjoying  many  facilities  for 
study,  and  making  the  acquaintance  of  many  musical 
people.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  opened  for  himself 
a  music  store  in  Fall  River,  Mass.,  and  at  the  same  time 
taught  music  in  the  public  schools,  and  edited  a  little 
paper  called  "  The  Keynote,"  in  which  he  prophetically 
indicated  some  of  the  musical  schemes  that  he  has  sub- 
sequently carried  into  effect.  In  1855  "  The  Keynote  " 
was  merged  into  "  The  Massachusetts  Musical  Journal," 
which  he  conducted  for  one  year.  On  the  thirty-first 
day  of  October  of  the  same  year  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Abbie  I.  Tuell  of  Warren,  R.I.,  an  estimable  lady  whose 
death  he  was  called  to  mourn  in  1867.  This  union  was 
blessed  with  four  children :  Lizzie  S.,  Emma  (deceased), 
Clara  S.,  and  Homer.  For  his  second  wife  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Lee  of  Newton,  Mass.,  by  whom  he  had 
Hattie  and  Arthur,  the  former  of  whom  died  at  the  age 
of  two  years.  Closing  his  business  at  Fall  River,  young 
Tourjee  went  to  reside  in  Newport,  R.I.,  where  he 
officiated  as  organist  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  one 
year,  and  then  at  Trinity  Church  four  years,  perform- 
ing on  the  celebrated  instrument  which  Dean  Berkeley 


294  LIFE   OF  DR.   EBEN   TOURJEE. 

sent  over  as  a  present  to  the  town  which  bears  his 
name.1 

In  addition  to  his  labors  as  organist,  he  held  musical 
conventions,  and  taught  music  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  city. 

As  early  as  1851  he  entertained  the  idea  of  establish- 
ing a  musical  conservatory  on  the  European  plan,  in 
which  his  favorite  art  should  assume  the  same  position 
as  other  branches  in  our  literary  institutions,  and  thus 
be  systematically  pursued,  so  as  to  give  completeness  to 
a  liberal  culture  of  the  mind.  He  had  not  the  means 
himself  to  establish  such  an  institution ;  nor  were  those 
to  whom  he  applied  for  aid  disposed  to  advance  much 
money  for  carrying  into  effect  what  they  believed  to  be 
a  visionary  scheme.  But  the  reformer  clung  to  his 
idea :  he  made  it  not  only  the  subject  of  stud}^,  but  of 
prayer.  For  years  his  mind  was  brooding  over  his 
beloved  project;  and  in  1859  he  succeeded  in  opening 
at  the  academy  in  East  Greenwich,  R.I.,  his  original 
conservatory  of  music,  and  the  first  one  in  America. 
At  the  beginning  he  had  but  three  pupils ;  yet,  moving 
on  persistently,  he  soon  made  of  it  a  marked  success. 
In  1863  he  visited  Europe.  He  examined  carefully  the 
musical  institutions  there  established,  and  for  some 
time  enjoyed  the  instruction  of  several  of  the  most 
eminent  masters.    At  Berlin  he  introduced  successfully 

1  The  people  of  Berkeley  voted  not  to  receive  the  gift,  declaring  that 
"  an  organ  is  an  instrument  of  the  Devil  for  the  entrapping  of  men's 
souls." 


LIFE   OF  DR.   EBEN  TOURJEE.  295 

our  American  style  of  singing  into  the  sabbath  schools, 
which  prior  to  that  time  had  sung  nothing  but  the 
heavy  choral  music  of  that  country.  He  returned  to 
America,  bringing  with  him  many  musical  curiosities 
and  a  rich  store  of  information  in  respect  to  musical 
subjects,  gained  by  intercourse  with  the  most  cele- 
brated instructors  and  composers  of  the  age.  In  1865 
he  established  a  chartered  music  school  in  Providence, 
R.I. ;  and  on  the  18th  of  February,  1867,  opened  under 
favorable  auspices,  and  a  charter  from  the  State,  the 
New  England  Conservatory  of  Music,  at  the  Music 
Hall  in  Boston.  Thus  was  realized  the  fond  aspiration 
of  his  early  manhood ;  thus  was  laid,  after  years  of 
planning  and  of  preparation,  a  music  school  on  a  grand 
and  liberal  scale,  embracing  in  its  several  departments 
teachers  of  the  highest  skill,  and  furnishing  at  a  mod- 
erate cost  a  musical  education  of  the  highest  order. 
During  the  ten  years  of  its  existence,  it  has  had  not  less 
than  sixteen  thousand  pupils  under  its  tuition,  many  of 
whom  have  already  attained  distinction  in  the  musical 
world;  and  from  it  have  sprung  many  other  similar 
institutions. 

In  consideration  of  his  eminent  abilities  as  a  musical 
director,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Music  was  in  1869 
conferred  on  him  by  the  Wesley  an  University ;  and  no 
man  in  this  country  is  more  worthy  of  the  title.  In 
the  same  year  his  administrative  powers  were  anew 
called  into  action,  by  the  organization  of  the  choruses, 
consisting  of  twenty  thousand  voices,  for  the  grand 


296  LIFE   OF  DR.   EBEN   TOXJEJEE. 

Peace  Jubilee  of  P.  S.  Gilmore.  But  for  the  influence 
of  the  conservatory  in  elevating  the  style  of  music  in 
New  England,  and  the  admirable  management  of  Dr. 
Tourjde,  that  great  musical  festival  could  not  have 
taken  place.  It  was  the  outgrowth  of  an  idea  cher- 
ished by  a  youth  of  seventeen  while  editor  of  "  The 
Keynote,"  in  Fall  River,  and  having  its  development 
in  the  conservatory  at  East  Greenwich,  then  at  Provi- 
dence, and  finally  at  Boston.  But  that  is  not  by  any 
means  the  measure  of  the  influence  of  the  institution 
founded  by  Dr.  Tourje*e.  It  has  sent  the  charms  of 
music  into  thousands  of  our  happy  homes ;  it  has  raised 
the  standard  of  musical  culture  in  our  public  schools 
and  in  our  churches  ;  it  has  improved  the  music  of 
the  concert-room  ;  and,  either  directly  or  indirectly, 
it  has  awakened  a  taste  for  music  in  the  minds  of  mil- 
lions. During  the  summer  vacation  of  the  conserva- 
tory, Dr.  Tourje'e  holds  a  musical  institute  at  East 
Greenwich,  R.I.,  where  teachers  of  music  from  various 
parts  of  the  country  enjoy  the  instructions  of  his  corps 
of  Boston  artists. 

Dr.  Tourjee  holds  the  office  of  Dean  of  the  faculty 
of  the  College  of  Music  in  the  Boston  University,  and 
was  for  years  superintendent  of  the  sabbath  school,  and 
President  of  the  North  End  Mission ;  a  noble  work  of 
charity,  which  owes  its  foundation  and  continued  suc- 
cess largely  to  his  self-denying  labors.  He  is  an  earnest 
advocate  of  congregational  singing  in  the  churches ;  and 
his  able  address  on  that  subject,  delivered  in  many  cities, 


LIFE  OF  DR.   EBEN  TOURJEE.  297 

has  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  produce  a  favor- 
able change  in  public  sentiment.  His  excellent  work 
on  psalmody,  entitled  "  The  Tribute  of  Praise,"  in  which 
all  the  tunes  are  so  arranged  as  to  be  easily  sung  by 
the  congregation,  has  also  been  conducive  to  the  same 
desirable  end.  His  other  publications  are,  "  The  Chorus 
Choir,"  consisting  of  classic  music  from  the  old  masters  ; 
"  The  Lesser  Hymnal ;  "  and  "  The  New  England  Con- 
servatory's Pianoforte  Method,"  which  appeared  in  1870. 
The  same  year,  by  invitation  of  the  National  Teachers' 
Association,  he  prepared  and  read,  at  their  annual 
convention,  a  paper  upon  music  and  its  relations  to 
other  studies.  At  the  close  of  the  reading  President 
Fairchild  warmly  commended  it,  and  asked  for  its 
publication,  which  was  unanimously  voted. 

To  Dr.  Tourjee  the  Church  is  indebted  for  the  con- 
ception and  plan  of  the  praise-meeting.  As  early  as 
1851  he  began  to  hold  in  Warren,  R.I.,  the  home  of 
his  first  wife,  meetings  for  praise.  He  called  them 
"  sings."  The  people  were  interested  in  the  exercises. 
Subsequently  he  united  the  congregation,  choir,  and 
sabbath  school  in  these  assemblies  for  singing,  and 
called  them,  by  the  approval  of  Messrs.  Webb  and 
Mason,  "praise-meetings."  The  design  is  to  inter- 
blend  responsive  Scriptural  readings  on  any  given  topic, 
as  "  Heaven,"  "  The  Advent,"  "  The  Promises,"  with 
responsive  singing  by  the  congregation.  A  brief  prayer 
is  also  introduced.  A  logical  order  is  preserved,  so 
that  the  mind  is  not  confused  by  the  multiplicity  of 


298  LIFE  OF  DR.   EBEN  TOURJEE. 

thoughts  presented.  Thus,  if  the  theme  be  "  Heaven," 
the  first  part  of  the  exercise  may  describe  the  beauties 
of  the  place  ;  the  second,  the  occupants  of  heaven ;  the 
third,  the  joys  of  heaven :  the  fourth,  the  way  to 
heaven ;  and  the  whole  may  close  with  an  invitation 
to  heaven.  An  exercise  so  arranged  may  teach  many 
truths  impressively,  and  be  carried  on  with  far  more 
life  and  spirit  than  an  ordinary  prayer-meeting.  It 
tends  also  to  call  forth  the  inert  musical  ability  of  the 
people,  and  to  promote  congregational  singing  in  the 
churches.  When  the  great  revival  meetings  com- 
menced at  the  Tabernacle  in  Boston,  Dr.  Tourjee  came 
forward  with  a  choir  of  about  two  thousand  voices, 
separated  into  five  or  six  sections;  and  with  one  of 
these,  under  his  own  or  some  other  leadership,  he  has 
directed  with  great  acceptance  the  music  of  the 
immense  congregations,  —  sometimes  in  the  way  of  a 
praise-meeting,  sometimes  in  that  of  the  grand  old 
chorals,  and  then  again  in  that  of  music  by  the  choir 
alone.  In  no  city  have  the  revivalists  been  sustained 
by  better  music  than  in  Boston ;  and  it  is  certainly  most 
gratifying  to  every  Christian  in  the  audience  to  see  the 
accomplished  director  of  the  largest  musical  conserva- 
tory in  the  world  thus  lending  his  own  personal  influ- 
ence to  swell  the  tide  of  song  that  rises  from  the 
mighty  concourse  to  the  praise  of  the  Redeemer. 

Dr.  Tourjde  has  filled  the  office  of  President  of  the 
Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  is  now 
President  of  the  Boston  Missionary  and  Church  Exten- 


LIFE  OF  DR.   EBEN  TOIIRJEE.  299 

sion  Society  of  the  Methodist-Episcopal  Church,  and 
was  recently  elected  President  of  the  National  Music 
Teachers'  Association. 

Dr.  Tourje'e  has  a  very  sweet  tenor  voice,  and  is 
never  so  happy  as  when  using  it  for  the  honor  of  his 
God.  Indeed,  all  his  plans  and  purposes  are  sanctified 
by  prayer,  and  carried  on  for  the  advancement  of  the 
kingdom  of  the  Lord.  His  life-work  is  Christ-work. 
He  looks  on  music  as  the  voice  of  God  to  lead  us 
heavenward.  He  employs  it  for  the  purposes  of  praise  ; 
and  nothing  is  more  beautiful  than  to  behold  a  man  of 
his  executive  power  and  rare  endowments  consecrating 
all  to  Christ,  and  with  warm  enthusiasm  striving  to 
raise  music,  one  of  heaven's  serenest  gifts  to  man,  to 
its  legitimate  design  of  rendering  praises  to  Jehovah's 
name.  In  person  this  eminent  musical  director  is  pre- 
possessing and  agreeable.  His  countenance  is  open, 
frank,  and  genial ;  his  hair  is  brown,  his  forehead  fair 
and  well  developed ;  his  eye  is  large  and  full,  his 
mouth  expressive.  In  manner  he  is  polite  and  courte- 
ous ;  in  speech,  graceful  and  confiding.  His  concep- 
tions are  vivid,  and  his  mental  combinations  rapid, 
though  distinct  and  clear.  With  great  suavity,  and 
tenderness  of  feeling,  he  at  the  same  time  possesses  a 
reserved  force  equal  to  any  emergency  that  may  arise  ; 
and,  if  life  is  spared  to  him,  will  make  a  still  higher 
record  in  the  musical  world. 

The  following  incident  from  his  pen,  and  relating  to 
his  beloved  mission,  carried  on  now  for  about  ten  years, 


300  LIFE   OF  DR.   EBEN   TOURJEE. 

will  serve  as  a  specimen  of  his  spirit  as  well  as  of  his 
style  in  writing  :  — 

"  One  Sunday,"  says  Dr.  Tourjde,  "a  man  came  in 
to  our  Sunday  school  at  the  Boston  North  End  Mission, 
drawn  by  the  sweetness  of  the  children's  singing.  He 
remained  until  the  close,  and  came  again  that  evening 
to  our  prayer-meeting.  When  the  customary  invita- 
tion to  seek  the  Saviour  was  given,  he  came,  forward, 
and  found  '  peace  in  believing.'  To  a  few  of  us  who 
had  remained  to  pray  with  the  penitent  seekers  he  said, 
4  My  friends,  I  feel  that  I'm  a  saved  man  ;  and  I  owe  it 
to  your  children's  singing  "  Jesus  loves  me"  this  after- 
noon,  I  couldn't  realize  it,  I've  been  such  a  miserable 
sinner ;  but  after  I  went  away  I  thought  it  over, 
"  Jesus  loves  me ; "  and  then  I  thought  of  the  next 
line,  "  The  Bible  tells  me  so,"  and  I  tried  to  believe  it ; 
and  I  came  here  this  evening  to  get  you  to  pray  for 
me.'  He  became  a  regular  attendant  at  the  mission, 
and  while  with  us  gave  the  clearest  evidence  of  a 
genuine  change  of  heart. 

"  This  is  but  one  of  very  many  similar  instances  of 
almost  weekly  occurrence  at  this  mission.  This  same 
man  soon  after  felt  called  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  prepare 
himself  for  the  Christian  ministry ;  and  at  present  he  is 
regularly  occupying  a  pulpit  in  Massachusetts,  spending 
much  of  his  time  during  the  week  in  lecturing  upon 
the  evils  of  intemperance." 


SACKED  SONG  IN  EVANGELISM. 


SACRED  SONG  IN  EVANGELISM. 

THE   POWER  AND   RESULTS   OF   SACRED   SONG   IN    EVANGELISM.— 
REMARKS  ON  THE  PSALMODY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

General  Effect  of  Music.  —  Singing  in  Ancient  Times.  —  St.  Augustine. 
— Ambrosian  and  Gregorian  Tones.— Luther  and  the  Reformation. 
—  Richard  Baxter. —Our  Forefathers.  —  Hymns  of  Wesley. — An 
Actress.  —  An  Irishman  converted  by  Song.  —  A  Hymn  of  Charles 
"Wesley.  —  Revival  Songs.  —  Contributions  to  Hymnology.  —  W.  B. 
Bradbury,  Bliss,  Phillips,  and  other  Hymnists. —Effect  of  their 
Songs. — Sankey's  Singing.  —  A  Young  Girl  converted. —A  Gentle- 
man led  to  Christ.  —  An  Old  Man's  Saying.  —  An  Infidel.  —  An  Aged 
Man's  Story.  — Singing  at  Glasgow.  — A  Highlander.  — A  Sceptic.  — 
An  Incident. — Mr.  Baxter. — Isaac  R.  Diller.  —  Remarks  of  "The 
Moravian."  —  Dr.  Talmage.  —  Maggie  Lindsay.  —  A  Touching  Death- 
Scene.  —  Influence  of  the  New  Style  of  Music  on  the  Psalmody  of 
the  Church.  —  More  of  the  Gospel  Hymns. — Psalms  of  David. — 
Gospel  Songs.  —  "Teaching  Hymns."— More  Singing  needed. — 
Formality  in  Music.  —  Design  of  Church  Music.  —  How  far  is  the 
Revival  Method  of  Singing  practicable?  —  What  is  requisite? 

"  Teaching  and  admonishing  one  another  in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual 
songs,  singing  with  grace  in  your  hearts  to  the  Lord."  —  St.  PArx. 
11 1  would  begin  the  music  here, 
And  so  my  soul  should  rise ; 
Oh,  for  some  heavenly  notes  to  bear 

My  spirit  to  the  skies ! " —Isaac  Watts, 
"  Saints  below  with  heart  and  voice, 
Still  in  songs  of  praise  rejoice ; 
Learning  here,  by  faith  and  love, 
Songs  of  praise  to  sing  above."  —  James  Montgomery. 

The  influence  of   music   on  the   heart  of  man  is 
mighty.     There  is  no  sorrow  it  may  not  alleviate,  no 

303 


304  SINGING   IN   ANCIENT   TIMES. 

joy  it  may  not  exalt.  Hence  the  military  commander, 
the  dramatist,  and  the  reformer,  have  in  all  ages 
pressed  it  into  service.  Its  power  lies  not  only  in 
imparting  immediate  pleasure,  hut  also  in  awakening 
sweet  or  grand  associations,  and  in  breathing  into  the 
soul  fresh  ardor  for  the  accomplishment  of  its  purposes. 
The  battle-hymns  of  nations  have  sometimes  roused, 
more  than  the  words  of  orators,  the  spirit  of  the 
people ;  and,  when  all  other  arts  have  failed,  a  simple 
song  has  sometimes  brought  back  reason  to  the  mind 
of  a  distracted  king.  Since,  then,  music  has  such 
marvellous  power,  it  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  the 
servants  of  God  have  in  every  age  employed  it,  not 
only  for  the  expression  of  grateful  praise,  but  also  as 
a  means  for  propagating  the  religion  they  profess. 
Indeed,  the  singing  of  psalms,  as  David  tells  us,  "  was 
a  statute  for  Israel,  and  a  law  of  the  God  of  Jacob ; " 
and  he  also  declares  in  one  of  his  sweet  lyrics,  that 
when  all  the  people  praise  God,  ""then  shall  the  earth 
yield  her  increase  "  (Ps.  lxvii.  6). 

The  disciples  of  our  Saviour  sung  a  hymn  at  the  Last 
Supper ;  and  Paul  and  Silas  whiled  away  the  hours  of 
their  imprisonment,  as  many  others  in  bonds  have  done, 
by  singing  the  inspiring  songs  of  Israel.  The  early 
Christians  understood  full  well  the  power  of  music, 
and  used  it  both  for  consolation  and  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  Master's  kingdom. 

"  How  many  tears  have  I  shed,"  says  St.  Augustine, 
"  when  I  heard  hymns  and  canticles  sung  in  the  church 


LUTHER   AND   THE  REFORMATION.  305 

to  thy  praise,  O  my  God!  While  the  sound  thereof 
struck  my  ears,  thy  truth  entered  my  heart ;  it  drew 
tears  from  my  eyes,  and  made  me  find  comfort  and 
delight  in  those  very  tears." 

St.  Ambrose  instituted  the  Ambrosian  chant  at  Milan, 
"that  the  people  might  not  languish  and  pine  away 
with  a  tedious  sorrow ;  "  and  in  the  fourth  century  St. 
Gregory  introduced  the  Gregorian  tones  into  Rome, 
which  on  certain  occasions  are  still  chanted.  During 
the  mediaeval  ages  many  Greek  and  Latin  hymns  as  — 

u  Jerusalem  the  golden, 

With  milk  and  honey  blest,"  — 

the"Stabat  Mater,"  and  "Dies  Irae,"  were  written, 
and  sacred  song  was  practised  to  inspire  devotion  and 
to  keep  alive  the  embers  of  religion  in  the  church  ;  yet 
it  may  be  noticed  that  whenever  any  thing  of  a  revival 
spirit  rose,  then  with  it  swelled  more  fervently  the  tide 
of  hallowed  praise.  'The  great  reformation  was  in  part 
produced  by  music.  Luther  knew  and  confessed  its 
power.  "  Next  unto  theology,"  he  said,  "  I  give  the 
place  and  highest  honor  unto  music."  "  It  is,"  he  also 
said,  "  a  half-discipline  and  schoolmistress  to  make  the 
people  gentler,  milder,  more  moral,  and  wiser."  In 
accordance  with  this  opinion,  he  introduced  new  hymns 
and  music,  such  as  the  Old  Hundredth,  to  be  sung 
congregationally  in  the  reformed  churches.  The  Prot- 
estant armies  sometimes  sung  this  and  other  grand  old 
chorals  on  the  eve  of  battle.     The  Nonconformists  of 


306  HYMNS   OF   WESLEY. 

England,  as  well  as  the  Covenanters  of  Scotland,  alle- 
viated their  burdens  and  poured  forth  their  praises  in 
psalms  and  spiritual  songs.  "  Methinks,"  said  the  pious 
Richard  Baxter,  a  celebrated  Nonconformist,  "  when 
we  are  singing  the  praises  of  God  in  great  assemblies, 
with  joyful  and  fervent  spirits,  I  have  the  liveliest 
foretaste  of  heaven  upon  earth;  and  I  could  almost 
wish  that  our  voices  were  loud  enough  to  reach 
through  the  world,  and  to  heaven  itself.  Nothing 
comforts  me  more  in  my  greatest  sufferings,  or  seems 
more  fit  for  me  while  I  wait  for  death,  than  singing 
psalms  of  praise  to  God;  nor  is  there  any  exercise  in 
which  I  had  rather  end  my  life." 

Our  forefathers  appreciated  the  value  of  music  con- 
secrated to  the  service  of  the  Lord :  it  served  to  lighten 
the  burdens  of  life  in  the  wilderness,  and  give  them  a 
foretaste  of  joys  to  come. 

11  Amid  the  storm  they  sang; 

And  the  stars  heard,  and  the  sea; 
And  the  sounding  aisles  of  the  dim  woods  rang 
With  the  anthems  of  the  free." 

It  is  a  significant  fact,  that  when,  in  the  days  of  witch- 
craft, religion  had  declined  to  the  lowest  point,  the 
singing  in  the  churches  also  became  almost  intolerable. 
The  people  could  execute  but  three  or  four  tunes,  and 
those  only  by  rote.  During  the  great  revivals  under 
the  lead  of  the  Wesleys  and  under  the  eloquent  George 
Whitefield,  sacred  music  played  a  conspicuous  part.     It 


AN  ACTRESS.  307 

was  then  that  Charles  Wesley  produced  his  glorious 
hymns,  as,  "  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul,"  "  I  know  that  my 
Kedeemer  lives,"  "  Depth  of  mercy  !  can  there  be  ?  " 
and  insisted  on  the  use  of  a  livelier  style  of  music, 
which  should  not  only  express  the  sentiment  of  the 
hymn,  but  also  inflame  the  hearts  of  the  congregation. 
The  effect  produced  by  the  singing  of  these  new  evan- 
gelical hymns  by  large  assemblies  was  sometimes  mar- 
vellous. Many  were  converted  by  hearing  them,  and 
continued  to  sing  them  alone  and  in  their  homes  until 
the  close  of  life. 

An  actress  one  day  heard  some  poor  people  in  a  cot- 
tage singing,  — 

1 '  Depth  of  mercy !  can  there  be 
Mercy  still  reserved  for  me?"  — 

and  also  a  simple  prayer  which  followed  it.  Her  heart 
was  touched,  and  when  first  importuned  by  the  mana- 
ger of  the  theatre  to  perform  her  part,  declined  to  do  so, 
but  afterwards  consented.  When  the  curtain  rose  she 
was  to  sing  a  song,  and  the  orchestra  began  to  play 
the  accompaniment ;  but  she  did  not  appear.  It  com- 
menced again,  when,  coming  forward  with  her  eyes 
suffused  with  tears,  she  sung,  instead  of  the  appointed 

song,  — 

1 '  Depth  of  mercy !  can  there  be 
Mercy  still  reserved  f or  me  ?  "  — 

with  such  effect  as  to  lead  some  present  to  consecrate 
themselves,  as  she  herself  had  done,  to  the  service  of 
the  Lord. 


308  HYMN   OF   CHARLES   WESLEY. 

Thousands  who  cared  but  little  for  the  spoken  word 
were  drawn  into  the  religious  meetings  just  to  hear  the 
new  and  stirring  songs  of  Wesley.  Mr.  Southey  speaks 
of  one  instance  which  he  regarded  as  the  most  singular 
case  of  instantaneous  conversion  ever  recorded.  It  was 
in  Wexford,  Ireland,  where,  to  avoid  the  violence  of  the 
Romanists,  the  worshippers  shut  themselves  up  in  a  barn. 
In  order  to  open  the  door  to  their  opponents,  an  Irish- 
man concealed  himself  in  a  bag  ;  but  when  the  singing 
commenced,  it  so  delighted  him  that  he  decided  to 
remain  and  hear  it  through,  and  after  that  the  prayer. 
But  the  service  so  affected  him  that  he  from  his  place  of 
concealment  cried  outright.  The  people  then  removed 
him  from  the  sack,  and  found  in  him  a  real  penitent. 

The  preaching  of  Charles  Wesley  was  indeed  effec- 
tive ;  yet  his  glorious  hymns,  which  have  now  been 
ringing  round  the  world  for  one  whole  century,  are  a 
thousand-fold  more  effective.  Every  day  they  bring, 
by  their  sweet  influence,  souls  to  rejoice  in  hope  of 
glory. 

I  would  rather  have  written  the  grand,  comforting, 
and  reviving  hymn,  — 

"  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul, 

Let  me  to  thy  bosom  fly,"  — 

than  to  rule  a  kingdom.  Princes  die  ;  their  graves  are 
seldom  visited :  but  in  that  hymn  Charles  Wesley  lives 
forever,  and  by  it  he  makes  others  live  who  love  to 
scatter  flowers  upon  his  resting  place.     The  Wesleys. 


W.   B.   BRADBUBY.  309 

Dr.  Watts,  Dr.  Doddridge,  and  Mrs.  Steele  produced  by 

their  inspiring  strains  a  new  departure  in  hymnology; 

and  they  still  go  on  singing  the  gospel  songs  through 

the  generations. 

The  revival  of  forty  years  ago  in  this  country  called 

forth  a  certain  class  of  new  hymns  which  were  set  to 

lively  music,  and  sung   with  spirit;  yet  many  of  the 

lyrics,  as,  — 

"  Don't  you  see  my  Jesus  coming  ?  "  — 

"  Now  the  Saviour  stands  a-pleading 

At  the  sinner's  bolted  heart,"  — 

11  When  I  was  down  in  Egypt  land,"  — 

are  entirely  destitute  of  any  poetic  merit,  and  the  tunes 
are  secular.  But  the  excellent  hymns  of  Samuel  F. 
Smith,  our  best  writer  of  sacred  lyric  poetry,  of  Dr. 
Thomas  Hastings,  and  others,  together  with  the  music 
of  Zeuner,  Mason,  Kingsley,  Hastings,  and  Webb,  soon 
put  to  silence  what  were  called  "  the  revival  melo- 
dies." These  rich  contributions  to  hymnology  and 
psalmody,  in  connection  with  the  wealth  of  hallowed 
song  from  Great  Britain,  especially  from  the  gifted 
pens  of  Heber,  Lyte,  and  Montgomery,  met  for  a  while 
the  wants  of  our  evangelical  churches. 

Then  William  B.  Bradbury  came,  and  set  the  world 
a  little  forward  by  his  beautiful  songs.  He  embalmed 
many  new  and  sweetly  devotional  hymns,  as  Walford's 
"  Sweet  Hour  of  Prayer  "  and  Gilmore's  "  He  Leadeth 
me,"  in  simple  yet  heart-moving  music  which  th6 
church  holds  as  a  precious  legacy.     While  he  sings  the 


310  EFFECT   OF  THEIR   SONGS. 

beatific  song,  the  pleasant  strains  he  left  us  cheer 
unnumbered  pilgrims  on  their  way  to  join  him  in  the 
anthems  pealing  over  the  "  sweet  fields  of  Edeja." 

But  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  is  ever  rolling  on,  and 
as  it  rolls  demands  new  men,  new  measures,  and  new 
songs.  Bliss,  Phillips,  Lowry,  Fischer,  Sankey,  enter 
on  the  stage,  and  in  a  style  unknown  before  sing  songs 
so  fresh,  so  sweet,  so  cheerful,  and  withal  so  evangelical, 
as  to  win  the  hearts  of  millions  to  the  Saviour,  and  to 
form  a  new  era  in  the  psalmody  of  the  church. 

Never  perhaps  in  the  whole  course  of  Christianity 
have  any  songs  turned,  in  so  brief  a  period,  so  many 
hearts  to  seek  the  Lord,  as  those  of  Mr.  Bliss ;  never 
perhaps  has  any  voice  ever  preached  the  gospel  so 
effectively  in  song  as  that  of  Mr.  Sankey.  Thousands 
and  thousands  of  people  attribute  their  conversion  to 
some  truth  sent  into  the  heart,  and  made  to  stay  there, 
by  the  silver  tones  of  his  sympathetic  voice.  They 
were  drawn,  perhaps,  to  the  place  of  worship  by  the 
fame  of  the  "  gospel  singer."  They  heard  unmoved  the 
fiery  appeals,  the  touching  stories,  of  Mr.  Moody ;  but 
the  rare  tenderness  of  some  strain  of  the  "  gospel  singer  " 
stole  into  deep  recesses  of  the  soul,  awakening  it,  as 
the  breath  of  May  the  flower,  to  life  and  beauty.  The 
burst  of  song  that  rises  grandly  from  a  vast  congrega- 
tion has  the  general  effect  of  inspiring  all  with  an 
emotion  of  sublimity:  the  voice  of  one  alone  comes 
searching  more  directly  into  each  individual  heart. 
Mr.  Sankey  literally  sings  the  gospel.     He  makes  the 


A  YOUNG  GIBL  CONVERTED.  311 

music  altogether  subservient  to  the  words,  and  these 
lie  enunciates  with  the  utmost  clearness.  His  melo- 
deon  pounds  more  like  an  jEolian  harp  than  a  reed- 
organ  ;  and  he  puts  his  soul  in  all  its  trembling  delicacy 
so  entirely  into  his  words,  his  voice,  his  instrument,  that 
the  effect  is  wonderfully  sweet  and  winning.  When 
the  hearer  feels  the  gospel  is  thus  sung  for  nothing  but 
to  save  his  soul,  how  can  he  find  it  in  his  heart  to 
reject  the  message  ? 

The  following  incidents  revealing  the  effect  of  Mr. 
Sankey's  and  other  singing  on  the  heart,  and  as  instru- 
mental in  producing  conviction  and  conversion  during 
the  revivals,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  will  undoubt- 
edly be  read  with  interest,  and  it  is  hoped  with  profit 
also. 

A  thoughtless  young  girl,  unable  to  get  into  one  of 
the  revival  meetings  in  Edinburgh,  remained  outside ; 
and  hearing  Mr.  Sankey  sing  in  his  own  affectionate 
style,  "  I  am  so  glad  that  Jesus  loves  me,"  said,  "  I 
cannot  sing  that,"  and  at  the  close  of  the  service  went 
in  among  the  inquirers,  and  became  a  Christian. 

A  gentleman  in  the  same  city  was  in  distress  of  soul, 
and  happened  to  linger  in  a  pew  after  the  noon-meet- 
ing. The  choir  had  remained  to  practise,  and  began  to 
sing  the  song  of  Mr.  Bliss,  — 

"  Free  from  the  law,  oh,  happy  condition! 
Jesus  hath  bled,  and  there  is  remission,"  — 

when  the  Spirit  of  God  entered  his  soul,  and  led  him 
to  rejoice  in  the  removal  of  his  burden. 


312  AN   INFIDEL. 

"Perhaps,"  says  a  correspondent,  "not  a  week  has 
passed  during  the  last  year,  in  which  we  have  not  had 
evidence  that  the  Lord  had  directly  used  a  line  of  one 
of  these  hymns  in  the  salvation  of  a  soul." 

Mr.  Sankey  said  to  a  young  minister  one  time,  "  I 
am  thinking  of  singing,  'I  am  so  glad,'  to-night."  — 
"  Oh,  no ! "  replied  the  minister  :  "*do  rather  sing, '  Jesus 
of  Nazareth.'  An  old  man  told  me  to-day  that  he  had 
been  awakened  by  it  the  last  night  you  were  down. 
'  It  just  went  through  me,'  said  he,  '  like  an  electric 
shock.' " 

"  Many  of  the  most  thrilling  and  marked  cases  of 
conversion  in  Scotland,"  says  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pentecost 
in  a  communication  to  me,  "have  been  attributed  to 
the  solos  sung  by  Mr.  Sankey.  I  recall  two  cases. 
One  of  them  is  that  of  an  infidel,  a  man  past  middle 
life,  who  for  years  had  been  zealously  engaged  in 
attacking  Christianity  and  propagating  infidelity.  He 
came  to  the  meetings  to  scoff,  and  to  expose,  as  he  said, 
the  'humbug.'  One  night  Mr.  Sankey  sung  the 
exquisitely  tender  hymn,  '  Waiting  and  watching  for 
me ; '  and  when  he  came  to  the  verse,  — 

'  There  are  little  ones  glancing  about  in  my  path, 

In  want  of  a  friend  and  a  guide  ; 
There  are  dear  little  eyes  looking  up  into  mine, 

Whose  tears  might  be  easily  dried. 
But  Jesus  may  beckon  the  children  away 

In  the  midst  of  their  grief  and  their  glee  : 
Will  any  of  them  at  the  beautiful  gate 

Be  waiting  and  watching  for  me?'  — 


AN   AGED   MAN'S   STORY.  313 

The  memory  of  an  infant's  face  that  once  looked  up 
into  his,  but  which  had  long  years  ago  been  '  beckoned 
away,'  came  up  so  vividly,  that  his  heart  was  melted. 
That  was  God's  opportunity.  The  truth  entered  his 
soul,  and  he  became  one  of  Mr.  Moody's  best  Christian 
workers." 

I  heard  one  day  a  man  whose  hair  was  white  with 
more  than  fifty  years  rise  up  and  tell  the  story  of  his 
conversion.  He  was  a  well-known  citizen,  a  prominent 
politician,  yet  had  led  a  somewhat  dissipated  life.  He 
was  present  at  one  of  the  meetings,  and  heard  Mr. 
Sankey  sing  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passe th  by."  When 
the  last  verse  was  sung,  — 

"  But  if  you  still  this  call  refuse, 
And  all  his  wondrous  love  abuse, 
Soon  will  he  sadly  from  you  turn, 
Your  bitter  prayer  for  pardon  spurn  ; 
1  Too  late,  too  late  !  '  will  be  the  cry, 
1  Jesus  of  Nazareth  hath  passed  by.'  " 

He  said  that  he  had  always  secretly  intended  to  be  a 
Christian  some  time  before  he  died ;  but  with  the  verse 
and  with  the  words,  — 

"Jesus  of  Nazareth  hath  passed  by,"  — 

the  terrible  thought  came  to  him,  "  What  if  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  has  passed  me  by,  and  it  is  too  late  ?  "  The 
thought  moved  his  heart.  He  went  home,  fell  on  his 
knees,  sought  the  mercy  of  God,  and  found  peace  in 
believing. 


314  A    SCEPTIC. 

Speaking  of  the  first  meetings  of  the  evangelists  in 
Glasgow,  Dr.  Andrew  A.  Bonar  said,  "  Mr.  Sankey's 
singing  began  at  once  to  be  felt  as  indeed  4  the  gospel ' 
preached  by  singing  ;  impressive,  melting,  as  well  as 
most  attractive.  Is  it  another  of  the  Lord's  many  new 
ways,  in  these  last  days,  of  graciously  compelling  men 
to  come  in, —  like  the  Grecian  mother's  agony  of  desire, 
expressing  itself  in  the  song  that  lured  her  wayward 
child  back  from  the  precipice  to  safety  ?  M 

A  wicked  young  man  in  a  Highland  parish  was 
brought  to  see  and  abandon  the  error  of  his  ways  by 
hearing  the  Rev.  W.  O.  Cushing's  simple  hymn,  — 

"  "When  he  cometh,  when  he  cometh  to  make  up  his  jewels,"  — 

for  which  the  music  was  written  by  Mr.  George  F. 
Root. 

While  the  revivalists  were  at  Manchester,  an  infidel 
was  converted  by  hearing  Mr.  Sankey  sing  Fanny  J. 
Crosby's  fine  hymn,  — 

••  Safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus, 
Safe  on  his  gentle  breast, 
There  by  his  love  o'ershaded, 
Sweetly  my  soul  shall  rest." 

"I  believed,"  he  subsequently  said,  *•  only  in  God  and 
the  Devil ;  the  latter  I  served  well,  and  sat  laughing  at 
the  Christians  about  me,  whom  I  thought  to  be  nothing 
better  than  fools."  While  listening  to  the  song,  as 
touchingly  rendered  by  the  singer,  a  sudden  thrill  went 
through  his  heart. 


AN  INCIDENT.  315 

"  There  is,"  said  lie,  "  a  Saviour.  Who  is  he  ? 
where  is  he  ? "  It  is  enough  to  add  that  the  scoffer 
found  him,  and  with  brightening  eye  exclaimed,  "  I  will 
now  live  and  work  for  Jesus." 

At    a    noonday    meeting   Mrs.    Emily   S.    Oakey's 

hymn,  — 

"  Sowing  the  seed  by  the  daylight  fair,"  — 

was  given  out,  when  Mr.  Sankey  rising  said,  "  Before 
we  sing  this  song,  I  will  tell  you  one  reason  why  we 
should  sing  these  hymns ;  and  that  is,  God  is  blessing 
them  to  many  a  poor  wanderer  who  comes  to  this 
building  night  after  night.  Last  week  a  man  who  had 
once  occupied  a  high  position  in  life  came  into  this  hall, 
and  sat  down.  While  I  was  singing  this  hymn  he  took 
out  his  pass-book,  and  wrote  out  these  words,  — 

1  Sowing  the  seed  of  a  lingering  pain, 
Sowing  the  seed  of  a  maddened  brain, 
Sowing  the  seed  of  a  tarnished  name, 
Sowing  the  seed  of  eternal  shame  ; 


Last  night  that  man  in  the  inquiry-room  went  on  his 
knees,  and  asked  God  to  break  the  chain  that  had 
dragged  him  down  from  such  a  high  position  to  the 
lowest  of  the  low.  He  said  he  had  resolved  when  he 
went  out  of  that  praise-meeting  that  he  would  cease  to 
indulge  in  the  intoxicating  cup ;  but  before  he  reached 
home  he  went  into  a  saloon,  and  broke  his  resolution. 
We  prayed  for  him  last  night.     He  is  now  praying  that 


316  MR.   BAXTER. 

God  may  break  his  chain.  I  want  you  to  pray  that  this 
brand  may  be  plucked  from  the  burning,  and  that  God 
may  use  these  gospel  hymns  to  turn  the  hearts  of  sinful 
men." 

A  great  many  instances  of  the  power  of  the  songs  of 
Mr.  Sankey  to  reach  the  hearts  of  men,  and  turn  them 
to  the  Saviour,  might  be  presented.  At  one  of  the 
meetings  in  the  Tabernacle  in  Chicago,  Mr.  Baxter  rose 
and  said  that  two  years  ago  his  mother  died,  and  so 
intemperate  was  he  then  that  on  his  way  to  notify  some 
neighbors  that  his  mother  was  dying,  he  stopped  and 
got  drunk.  Five  weeks  ago  he  came  to  Chicago  from 
Naperville  to  put  himself  in  a  reformatory  institution, 
and  got  drunk  on  the  way.  He  wandered  into  the 
Tabernacle  one  Sunday  for  rest,  being  broken  down 
physically  and  mentally  by  drink,  and  heard  Mr. 
Sankey  sing,  "  Waiting  and  Watching."  This  set  him 
to  thinking  about  his  mother ;  and,  if  there  was  any 
word  that  would  touch  his  hard  heart,  it  was  that  word 
"mother."  All  Sunday  night  he  paced  the  street,  una- 
ble to  think  of  any  thing  except  of  his  mother  in  heaven 
watching  and  waiting  for  him.  On  Monday  he  went 
to  Farwell  Hall,  and  was  there  converted.  He  had  had 
nothing  but  happiness  since  that.  He  had  found  that 
the  blood  of  Jesus  had  power  to  cleanse  from  all  sin. 

Mr.  Isaac  R.  Diller,  a  prominent  politician,  also  in 
another  of  the  meetings  rose  and  made  this  state- 
ment, — 

"  I  believe  no  one  can  be  a  politician  without  being 


REMARKS   OF   "  THE  MORAVIAN."  317 

tempted  to  use  intoxicating  drinks.  I  found  myself,  by 
reason  of  my  associations,  going  on  from  bad  to  worse, 
and  almost  breaking  the  heart  of  my  wife.  I  have 
attended  these  meetings  a  good  deal.  The  first  time  I 
heard  Mr.  Moody  was  at  the  Park-avenue  Methodist 
•  Church  some  }^ears  ago.  When  he  asked  those  who 
were  Christians  to  stand  up,  I  did  not  rise  :  now,  thanks 
to  God,  I  know  that  I  am  a  Christian.  The  first  inti- 
mation I  had  from  God's  Spirit  was  when  I  heard  Mr. 
Sankey  sing,  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passe th  by.'  It  was 
at  the  Tabernacle  ;  the  hymn  came  home  to  me  most 
powerfully,  and  I  began  to  wonder  if  Jesus  had  passed 
me  by.  But  to-day  I  can  say  he  has  not  passed  me  by. 
I  am  here  on  the  Lord's  side." 

Thus,  through  the  potency  of  truth  sweetened  by 
song,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  set  onward. 

"  Men  untouched,"  observes  "  The  Moravian,"  "  by 
any  thing  that  Mr.  Moody  says,  break  down  under  the 
song-question,  '  Oh !  what  shall  the  harvest  be  ?  '  They 
feel  that  they  cannot  face  the  awful  reaping  of  what 
they  have  been  sowing  ;  and  they  go  into  the  inquiry- 
rooms  to  learn  how  they  may  see  better  things.  One 
evening  as  we  sat  behind  nine  or  ten  thousand  people, 
the  words  of  the  hymn  were  distinctly  borne  to  us  over 
the  heads  of  the  multitude,  — 


No  room,  no  room!     Oh,  woful  cry,  "  No  room 


!"  ' 


And  we  felt,  as  we  have  seldom  done,  that  the  day  is 
indeed  coming  when  the  door  will  be  shut. 


318  DR.   TALMAGE. 

"  As  the  song,  *  Scatter  seeds  of  kindness,'  is  being 
sung,  we  watch  the  faces  before  us ;  and  when  the 
words,  — 

1  Ah  I  those  little  ice-cold  fingers, 

How  they  point  our  memories  back 
To  the  hasty  words  and  actions 

Strewn  along  our  backward  track ! '  — 

sound  out,  we  are  startled  to  see  how  the  arrow  goes 
home.  These  are  but  instances  of  the  general  power 
of  Mr.  Sankey's  singing.  Scarcely  a  day  passes  with- 
out a  letter  or  a  conversation  which  records  a  conver- 
sion through  the  same  song-word,  made  sharp  by  the 
Spirit  in  the  heart  of  the  king's  enemies." 

"  I  do  not  know,"  says  Dr.  Talmage,  "  how  we  shall 
stand  the  first  day  in  heaven.  Do  you  not  think  we 
shall  break  down  in  the  song  from  over-delight  ?  I 
once  gave  out  in  church  the  hymn,  — 

1  There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight, 
"Where  saints  immortal  reign. ' 

An  aged  man  standing  in  front  of  the  pulpit  sang 
heartily  the  first  verse,  and  then  he  sat  down  weeping. 
I  said  to  him  afterwards,  '  Father  Linton,  what  made 
you  cry  over  that  hymn  ?  He  said,  4 1  could  not  stand 
it,  —  the  joys  that  are  coming.'  " 

Sometimes  these  precious  songs  have  proved  a  source 
of  consolation  to  the  sufferer  on  the  dying  bed.  In  the 
touching  services  held  in  the  Free  Assembly  Hall,  Edin- 
burgh, on  the  last  night  of  the  year  1873,  Miss  Maggie 


MAGGIE  LINDSAY.  319 

Lindsay,  an  interesting  young  lady  of  seventeen  years, 
was  converted ;  and  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  Jan- 
uary, 1874,  she  was  fatally  injured  by  the  wreck  of  a 
train  near  Linlithgow.  She  was  reading,  when  the 
accident  occurred,  the  hymn-book  of  Mr.  Sankey ;  and 
there  was  a  leaf  turned  down  at  her  favorite  hymn, 
"  The  Gates  Ajar,"  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Baxter,  — 

"  There  is  a  gate  that  stands  ajar, 

And,  through  its  portals  gleaming, 
A  radiance  from  the  cross  afar, 
The  Saviour's  love  revealing." 

"  At  one  time,"  says  the  minister  who  attended  her 
in  her  dying' hours,  "  when  we  thought  she  had  fallen 
into  a  sleep  eagerly  wished  and  prayed  for  by  us,  we 
moved  away  out  of  her  sight ;  but  in  a  few  minutes  we 
heard  her  in  low,  gentle  tones,  singing  to  herself  the 

words,  — 

'  Nothing  either  great  or  small 

Remains  for  me  to  do : 
Jesus  died,  and  paid  it  all,  — 
All  the  debt  I  owe. ' 

"  She  also  sung,  before  she  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  Mr. 
Sankey's  hymn,  '  For  me,  for  me.'  " 

Another  very  touching  account  is  given  by  an  Eng- 
lish writer,  of  the  dying  hours  of  a  girl  about  ten  years 
old,  who  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  hymns  of  Mr. 
Sankey.  "  Oh,  how  I  love,"  said  she,  "  those  dear 
hymns  ! "  naming  especially  that  by  Fanny  J.  Crosby, — 


320  A   TOUCHING    DEATH-SCENE. 

"  Safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus, 
Safe  on  his  gentle  breast. ' ' 

"  4  When  I  am  gone,'  said  she,  4  mother,  will  you  ask 
the  girls  of  the  school  to  sing  the  hymn,  — 

4  Ring  the  bells  of  heaven !  there  is  joy  to-day 
For  a  soul  returning  from  the  'wild; 
See,  the  Father  meets  him  out  upon  the  way. 
Welcoming  his  weary,  wandering  child.' 

"  The  night  before  her  death  she  said,  4  Dear  father 
and  mother,  I  hope  I  shall  meet  you  in  heaven.  I  am 
so  happy,  mother!  You  cannot  think  how  light  and 
happy  I  feel.'  Again,  4  Perhaps  Jesus  may  send  me  to 
fetch  some  of  my  brothers  and  sisters :  I  hope  he  will 
send  me  to  fetch  you,  mother.' 

"  Half  an  hour  before  her  departure  she  exclaimed, 
4  0  mother,  hark  at  the  bells  of  heaven!  they  are  ring- 
ing so  beautifully  /' 

44  Then  closing  her  eyes  a  while,  presently  she  cried 
again,  '  Hearken  to  the  harps  !  they  are  most  splendid. 
Oh,  I  wish  you  could  hear  them  ! ' 

4*  Then  shortly  after  she  spoke  again,  — 

44  4  O  mother !  I  see  the  Lord  Jesus  and  the  angels ! 
Oh,  if  vou  could  see  tliem  too !  He  is  sending  one  to 
fetch  me  ! ' 

44  She  had  been  counting  the  hours  and  minutes  since 
she  had  heard  the  mill-bell  at  half -past  one,  p.m.,  long- 
ing so  earnestly  to  depart,  yet  expressed  a  hope  she 
might  see  her  dear  father  (then  absent  at  work)  before 
she  went. 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE   NEW    STYLE   OF  MUSIC.      321 

"  At  last,  just  five  minutes  or  so  before  her  expiring 
breath,  she  said,  — 

" '  Oh  mother!  lift  me  up  from  the  pillow,  —  high, 
high  up !  Oh,  I  wish  you  could  lift  me  right  up  into 
heaven  ! '  Then,  almost  immediately  after,  —  as  doubt- 
less conscious  that  the  parting  moment  was  at  hand,  — 
'Put  me  down  again,  —  down  quick!'  Then  calmly, 
brightly,  joyously,  gazing  upward,  as  at  some  vision  of 
surprising  beauty,  she  peacefully,  sweetly,  triumphantly 
breathed  forth  her  precious  spirit  into  the  arms  of  the 
ministering  angel  whom  Jesus  had  sent  to  i$tek  her ; 
and  so  was  forever  with  the  Lord  she  loved." 

But  what  effect,  it  may  now  be  asked,  is  this  new 
style  of  hymns  and  music  to  have  on  the  service  of 
song  in  our  churches  ?  It  may  perhaps  be  safely  said 
in  reply,  that  it  will  be  the  means  of  introducing  into  it 
more  of  Christ  and  his  precious  gospel.  The  Psalms  of 
David  are  indeed  most  excellent  and  dear  to  every 
Christian  heart ;  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
they  were  written  under  the  old  dispensation.  I  have 
in  mind  an  aged  Christian  who  will  tolerate  nothing 
but  the  psalms  and  hymns  of  Dr.  Watts ;  overlooking 
the  fact  that  David  had  the  thoughts  and  spirit  of  the 
old  dispensation,  and  perhaps  not  knowing  that  Dr. 
Watts  has  given  us  nothing  more  than  a  loose  para- 
phrase of  the  Psalms.  Some  of  them  are  minatory, 
and  inapplicable  to  the  times  in  which  we  live.  In  his 
version  Dr.  Watts  infused  into  them  as  much  of 
Christology  as  he  dared  to  do  ;  and  for  it  was  severely 


322  GOSPEL  SONGS. 

criticised  by  the  rigid  Hebraists  of  his  day;  but  the 
churches  wanted  Christ,  and  so  accepted,  against  much 
opposition,  the  new  paraphrase.  In  every  fresh  revival 
more  of  Christ  was  wanted,  and  the  Psalms  by  slow 
degrees  gave  way  to  hymns  founded  on  some  passage  of 
the  gospel.  It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  from  the 
day  of  Watts  down, to  "  The  Songs  for  the  Sanctuary," 
the  church  hymn-books,  both  in  England  and  America, 
present  in  less  and  less  proportion  versions  of  the 
Psalms  of  David.  The  revival  hymn-book  of  that 
earnest  and  successful  Christian  armor-bearer,  the  Rev. 
A.  B.  Earle,  does  not  contain  a  single  psalm ;  and  I  am 
not  aware  that  more  than  one  or  two  are  ever  sung  in 
the  Moody  and  Sankey  meetings.  The  reason  is  that 
Christ  and  him  crucified  is  the  grand  central  theme  of 
Christian  song  ;  and  David  had  but  dim  foreshadowings 
of  his  work  or  power.  As  the  Church  advances  on  its 
conquering  way,  it  will  turn  more  and  more  to  Jesus  as 
its  king  and  counsellor,  and  will  consequently  demand 
more  and  more  of  him  in  its  song.  One  result,  then,  of 
the  new  departure  in  hymnology  will  be  to  introduce 
still  more  of  the  new,  instead  of  the  old  dispensation, 
into  the  worshipping  assemblies. 

But  has  the  gospel  scope  and  variety  enough  to  sup- 
ply the  church  with  song  ?  Dr.  Johnson  intimates  in 
his  unfair  life  of  Dr.  Watts,  that,  from  the  paucity  of 
the  topics,  no  one  can  excel  in  sacred  lyric  poetry.  He 
had  not  sounded  the  depths  of  that  word  "  grace."  In 
its  relations  to  man,  as  a  sinner,  as  a  Christian,  and  as 


"  TEACHING   HYMNS."  323 

an  heir  of  immortality,  the  gospel  gives  unnumbered 
topics  to  the  sacred  poet's  pen.  The  redeeming  love  of 
Jesus  is  a  sea  without  a  bottom  or  a  shore.  Some  of 
the  grandest  lyrics  written  since  the  days  of  Dr.  John- 
son have  been  inspired  by  the  advent,  work,  and  death 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Cowper,  Heber,  Lyte,  Montgomery, 
Kelly,  Smith,  Hastings,  Bonar,  Palmer,  Crosby,  Adams, 
and  Bliss  have  proved  by  their  precious  hjrmns  that  the 
subjects  clustering  round  the  cross  are  inexhaustible, 
and  adapted  also  to  the  higher  demands  of  poetry. 
But  nobler  strains  are  yet  to  come,  and  the  Church  will 
wisely  press  them  into  its  service  of  song. 

This  new  style  of  singing  may  bring  into  the  sabbath 
services  of  the  church  more  of  what  are  called  teach- 
ing, in  contradistinction  to  praising  hymns.  We  have 
alread}^,  in  our  church  manuals  of  song,  many  didactic 
hymns,  or  such  as  convey  some  knowledge  of  doctrine ; 
but  they  are  often  so  spiritless  and  prosaic,  as  to  pro- 
duce but  little  or  no  impression  on  a  congregation. 
There  are  needed  in  our  public  service  hymns  that  in 
the  way  of  a  story,  or  of  illustration,  teach  some  gospel 
truth,  or  enforce  some  religious  duty.  Let  a  congrega- 
tion drawl  out  the  words  to.  some  such  heavy  minor 
tune  as  "  Burford,"  — - 

"  Naked  as  from  the  earth  I  came, 
And  crept  to  life  at  first,"  — 

and  then  break  into  the  stirring  song  that  tells  and 
teaches  something  heartily,  — 


324  FORMALITY    IX   MUSIC. 

"  Ho,  my  comrades!  see  the  signal 
Waving  in  the  sky,"  — 

and  the  spirit* of  the  people  changes  instantly  from 
torpor  into  joy.  Such  songs  as  "  Hold  the  Fort "  might 
not  be  always  appropriate ;  but  could  they  not,  indeed 
will  they  not,  occasionally  come  in  between  the  Psalm 
of  David  and  the  dull  didactic  hymn,  to  arouse,  if 
nothing  more,  the  audience  from  its  somnolence  ?  Why 
should  the  sabbath  school  and  the  revival  meetings 
have  all  the  best  of  the  music  ? 

Such,  then,  again,  is  the  wonderful  effect  of  this  new 
style  of  sacred  song  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  that  it 
will  doubtless  be  the  means  of  bringing  more  of  sing- 
ing, and  that  congregationally,  into  our  public  worship. 
As  a  rule  we  sing  too  little  in  our  sabbath  services. 
Worship  is  in  form  threefold  or  triplicate.  It  consists 
in  preaching,  praying,  singing ;  but  the  people  join 
actively  only  in  the  last-named  service.  Since,  then,  it 
may  be  so  effective,  since  it  may  combine  prayer  and 
to  some  extent  preaching  also,  should  not  more  of  time 
be  devoted  to  its  practice  ?  Will  not  the  marvellous 
results  of  the  singing  of  the  modern  revivalists,  as  well 
as  of  the  "  Service  of  Praise  "  introduced  by  Dr.  Tour- 
je*e,  have  a  tendency  to  lead  the  people  to  demand  more 
of  song  in  stated  worship  in  the  sanctuary  ? 

So  again  (and  here  will  be  the  greatest  benefit),  the 
singing  of  Mr.  Sankey  and  other  revivalists  may  tend 
to  break  up  in  some  degree  the  cold  formality,  which  is 
indeed  but  solemn  mockery,  that  prevails  to  a  lament- 


DESIGN  OF   CHURCH  MUSIC.  325 

able  extent  in  this  part  of  worship  in  the  house  of  God. 
The  end  of  church  music  is  to  lead  sinners  to  Jesus,  to 
quicken  the  spirit  of  devotion,  and  to  glorify  God.  But 
in  too  many  instances  the  singers  perform  their  parts  to 
glorify  themselves.  Sitting  far  apart  from  the  minister, 
and  having  but  little  sympathy  with  him  or  his  preach- 
ing, they  but  too  often  spend  the  time  he  occupies,  in 
looking  over  books,  or  in  listless  inattention :  they  sing 
expressly  for  a  musical  effect,  and  nothing  more,  except 
for  the  pay  which  they  receive.  Now,  this  is  simply 
sacrilege  ;  but  the  people  encourage  it,  the  churches 
tolerate  it,  and  hence  one  source  of  their  spiritual  weak- 
ness. The  objective  end  of  the  singing  of  the  revival- 
ists, and  of  their  hymns  also,  is  the  conversion  of  souls 
and  the  glory  of  God.  Hence  the  rich  fruits  that 
follow.  The  people  see  this,  know  this,  feel  this ;  and 
hence  we  may  be  sure  that  a  kind  of  revolution  in  our 
church  psalmody  is  at  hand,  and  that  music  will  be 
made  ere  long  to  fulfil  its  grand  mission  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

But  can  the'  methods  of  the  revivalists  in  song  be 
practised  and  sustained  in  the  churches  ?  Perhaps  not. 
A  Sankey  is  not  found  in  every  congregation ;  solo  and 
chorus  cannot  always  be  performed ;  and  it  is  strictly 
Biblical  that  psalms  and  hymns,  as  well  as  what  are 
called  revival  melodies,  should  be  sung,  —  just  as  St. 
Paul  says,  "  teaching  and  admonishing  one  another  in 
psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs."  But  the  people 
can  sing  congregationally  ;  the  children  can  blend  their 


326  WHAT  IS  REQUISITE? 

sweet  voices  with  them  if  the  sabbath-school  pieces  are 
sometimes  brought  forward ;  the  choir  can  sing  to  lead 
and  teach  and  praise ;  and  the  whole,  as  the  apostle 
beautifully  enjoins,  can  sing  with  " grace"  in  the  heart 
"  to  the  Lord."-  This  is  the  perfection  of  praise. 
So  whether  we  sing  the  mighty  psalm,  — 

"  Before  Jehovah's  awful  throne, 

Ye  nations,  bow  with  sacred  joy  : 
Know  that  the  Lord  is  God  alone; 
He  can  create,  and  he  destroy,"  — 

or  the  tender  hymn,  — 

"  There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood 
Drawn  from  Immanuers  veins  ; 
And  sinners,  plunged  beneath  that  flood, 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains,"  — 

or  the  spiritual  song,  — 

"  Ring  the  bells  of  heaven  :  there  is  joy  to-day, 
For  a  soul  returning  from  the  wild ; 
See,  the  Father  meets  him  out  upon  the  way, 
Welcoming  his  weary,  wandering  child,"  — 

we  are  still  exalting  our  Redeemer's  name,  extending 
his  dominion  over  this  sinful  world,  and  training  oui 
voices  for  that  fair  song-home,  — 

' '  "Where  the  saints  of  all  ages  in  harmony  meet, 
Their  Saviour  and  brethren  transported  to  greet ; 
While  the  anthems  of  rapture  unceasingly  roll, 
And  the  smile  of  the  Lord  is  the  life  of  the  soul." 


ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  MR.  MOODY. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  MR.  MOODY. 

CHOICE  SAYINGS,  INCIDENTS,  STORIES,  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  MR. 

MOODY. 

Christ  Conquering. —The  Net.  —  Realities. — God  here. —  Feeling. — 
Jesus.  —  Mysteries.  —  Knowledge.  —  Purgatory.  —  The  Blood.  — 
Feeling  and  Faith.  —  Morality.  —  Consequential  People.  —  The  Devil 
in  Church.  —  Down  Grade.  —  Thankfulness.  —  Judas.  —  Nearness  to 
God.  —  Book  of  "Wonders.  —  Strength.  —  Juniper-Tree.  —  Reason  for 
Faith.  —  Lost.  —  Faith.  —  Three  Steps.  —  Garibaldi.  —  Laziness.  — 
Wesley.  —  Bravery.  —  Rushlight.  —  Dead  Sea.  —  Adversity.  —  Work- 
ers. —  Missing  Stone.  — A  Smile.  —  Conversion.  — Roll-Call.  —  Light. 

—  Prairie  on  Fire.  — Love.  — Not  Me.  — •  Duty.  — A  Lie.  — Your  Life. 

—  Law.  —  The  Earth.  —  The  Law.  —  Man  a  Failure.  —  Chain  and  All. 

—  Scarlet  Thread.  —  A  Resolve.  —  Infidel.  —  A  Substitute.  —  The 
Crown.  —The  Surgeon.  —  "  Blazing."  —  The  Soul.  —  Burden-Bearer. 

—  God  and  the  World.  —  The  Shadow.  — God's  Love.  — Now.  —Life- 
Boat.  —  Heart  and  Head.  —  The  Rescue.  —  A  Lady  Converted.  — 
Belief.  —Norwegian  Boy.— The  "Worm.  —  A  Want.  —The  Bible. 

—  Not  Enough  of  Them.  —One  in  Christ.  —Money.  — Higher  Up.  — 
Sympathy.  —  The  Check.  —  Silence  in  Heaven.  —  Eleventh  Hour.  — 
Prayer.  —  Enthusiasm.  —  A  Line.  —  A  Scotch  Woman.  —  Trust.  — 
Pride.  — The  Bible.  — Run  upon  the  Banks. 

"  The  heart  of  the  wise  teacheth  his  mouth,  and  addeth  learning  to  his  life."  — 
Solomox. 

"  Sometimes  he  tells  them  stories  and  sayings  of  others,  according  as  his  text 
invites  him  ;  for  them  also  men  heed  and  remember  better  than  exhortations."  — 
George  Herbert. 

Christ  Conquering.  —  It  is  said  of  Julian  the 
Apostate  in  Rome,  that,  when  he  was  trying  to  stamp 

329 


330  THE  NET. 

out  Christianity,  he  was  pierced  in  the  side  by  an  arrow. 
He  pulled  the  arrow  out,  and,  taking  a  handful  of  blood 
as  it  flowed  from  the  wound,  threw  it  into  the  air 
shouting,  "  Thou  Galilean,  thou  hast  conquered  !  " 

Caught  in  the  Gospel  Net.  —  A  man  told  me 
the  other  day  that  he  came  to  see  the  chairs.  He  said 
he  heard  there  were  ten  thousand  chairs  all  in  one  hall, 
and  he  thought  they  must  look  so  strange.  He  had  a 
curiosity  to  see  them.  Thank  God,  that  man  got 
caught  in  the  gospel  net  that  very  night !  and  I  hope 
some  others  that  came  just  out  of  curiosity  this  even- 
ing will  get  caught  with  the  old  gospel  net. 

Realities.  —  I  believe  heaven  is  a  city  quite  as  real 
as  London  is.  What  we  want  is,  to  make  heaven  real, 
and  hell  real,  and  God  real,  and  Christ  real,  and  live  as 
if  we  believed  these  things  to  be  real. 

God  is  heee.  —  We  have  abundant  manifestation 
that  his  influence  from  heaven  is  felt  among  us.  He 
is  not  in  person  among  us,  only  in  spirit.  The  sun  is 
ninety-five  million  miles  from  the  earth,  yet  we  feel  its 
rays.  God  has  a  dwelling-place,  God  has  a  home,  God 
has  a  throne. 

Feeling   nothing  to  do  with  Believing.  —  A 

great  many  are  saying,  "  Do  you  feel  this  and  that  ? 
Do  you  feel,  do  you  feel,  do  you  feel  ?  "     God  does  not 


BIBLE  MYSTERIES.  331 

want  you  to  feel :  he  tells  you  to  believe.  He  says, 
"  When  I  see  the  blood  I  will  pass  over; "  and,  if  you 
are  sheltered  behind  the  blood,  you  are  perfectly  safe 
and  secure.  Suppose  I  say  to  a  man,  "  Do  you  feel 
that  you  own  this  piece  of  land?  "  He  looks  at  me  a 
moment,  and  thinks  I  must  be  crazy.  He  says,  "  Feel  ? 
Why,  feeling  has  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  look  at  the 
title:  that  is  all  I  want."  Do  you  see  ?  all  you  have  to 
do  with  is  the  title. 

A  Sight  of  Jesus.  —  One  Christian  asked  another 
what  he  expected  to  do  when  he  got  to  heaven  ;  and  he 
said  he  expected  to  take  one  good  long  look  of  about 
five  hundred  years  at  Christ,  and  then  he  would  want 
to  see  Paul,  and  Peter,  and  John,  and  the  rest  of  the 
disciples.  Well,  it  seems  to  me,  one  glimpse  of  Christ 
will  pay  us  for  all  that  we  are  called  upon  to  endure 
here, — to  see  the  King  in  his  beauty,  to  be  in  the 
presence  of  the  King. 

Bible  Mysteries.  —  Supposing  I  should  send  my 
little  boy  to  school  to-morrow  morning,  and  when  he 
came  home  I  should  say,  "  Can  you  read,  write,  and 
spell  ?  Do  you  understand  all  about  arithmetic,  geome- 
try, algebra  ? "  The  little  fellow  would  look  at  me, 
and  say,  "  Why,  what  do  you  talk  in  that  way  for?  I 
have  been  trying  all  day  to  learn  the  A  B  C."  Suppos- 
ing I  replied,  "  If  you  have  not  finished  your  education, 
you  need  not  go  to  school  any  more."     Well,  there  is 


332  THE   BLOOD   OF   JESUS. 

about  as  much  sense  in  that  as  in  the  way  that  infidels 
talk  about  the  Bible.  They  take  it  up,  read  a  chapter, 
and  say,  "  Oh !  it's  so  dark  and  mysterious,  we  cannot 
understand  it." 

Knowledge  of  Christ  will  not  save.  —  A  great 
many  persons  flatter  themselves  they  are  going  to  be 
saved  because  they  know  a  great  deal  about  Jesus 
Christ.  But  your  knowledge  of  him  will  not  save  you. 
Noah's  carpenters  probably  knew  as  much  about  the 
ark  as  Noah  did,  and  perhaps  more.  They  knew  that 
the  ark  was  strong,  they  knew  it  was  built  to  stand 
the  deluge,  they  knew  it  was  made  to  float  upon  the 
waters  :  they  had  helped  to  build  it.  But  they  were 
just  as  helpless  when  the  flood  came  as  men  who  lived 
thousands  of  miles  away. 

Purgatory.  —  I  am  told  that  in  Rome,  if  you  go  up 
a  few  steps  on  your  hands  and  knees,  that  is  nine  years 
out  of  purgatory.  If  you  take  one  step  now,  you  are 
out  of  purgatory  for  time  and  eternity. 

The  Blood  of  Jesus.  —  There  is  no  condemnation 
to  him  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  You  may  just  pile  up 
your  sins  till  they  rise  up  like  a  dark  mountain,  and 
then  multiply  them  by  ten  thousand  for  those  you 
cannot  remember ;  and,  after  you  have  tried  to  enu- 
merate all  the  sins  you  have  ever  committed,  just  let  me 
bring  one  verse  in,  and  then  that  mountain  will  melt 
away,  —  "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth 
us  from  all  sin." 


THE  DEVIL  IN   CHURCH.  333 

Feeling.  —  I  like  to  have  people's  faith  grounded, 
not  on  feeling,  but  on  some  strong  text  of  Scripture. 
If  you  feel,  feel,  all  the  time,  }Tou  have  no  firm  ground 
to  stand  on.  It  is  true,  it  is  better  to  know  God  says  a 
thing  than  to  feel  it.  Do  not  be  waiting  to  feel  it.  If 
a  man  invited  you  to  his  house  to  a  feast,  you  would 
not  talk  about  feeling,  would  you  ?  The  question  for 
you  to  consider  is,  Do  you  want  to  be  at  this  feast  to 
which  God  invites  you  ?  If  you  do,  come  along,  and 
your  feelings  will  take  care  of  themselves. 

Morality  not  enough.  —  Nicodemus  stood  very- 
high  :  he  was  one  of  the  church  dignitaries  ;  he  stood  as 
high  as  any  man  in  Jerusalem  except  the  high  priest 
himself.  He  belonged  to  the  seventy  rulers  of  the 
Jews  ;  he  was  a  doctor  of  divinity,  and  taught  the  law. 
There  is  not  one  word  of  Scripture  against  him :  he  was 
a  man  that  stood  out  before  the  whole  nation  as  of  pure 
and  spotless  character.  What  does  Christ  say  to  him  ? 
"  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  king- 
dom of  God." 

Consequential  People. —  I  pity  a  man  or  woman 
that  has  got  an  idea  that  the  world  can't  get  along 
without  him  or  her. 

The  Devtl  in  Church.  —  Many  say,  "  Oh,  yes !  I 
am  a  Christian  :  I  go  to  church  every  sabbath."  There 
is  no  one  who  goes  to  church  as  regularly  as  Satan. 


334  THANKFULNESS. 

i 

He  is  always  there  before  the  minister,  and  the  last  one 
out  of  the  church.  There  is  not  a  church  or  a  chapel, 
but  he  is  a  regular  attendant  of  it.  The  idea  that  he 
is  only  in  slums  and  lanes,  and  public  houses,  is  a  false 
one. 

The  Down  Grade.  —  I  was  on  the  Pacific  coast 
some  time  ago,  and  there  they  were  telling  me  about  a 
stage-driver  who  had  died  a  little  while  ago.  You 
that  have  been  there  know  that  those  men  who  drive 
those  coaches  make  a  great  deal  of  the  brake,  for  they 
have  to  keep  their  feet  upon  it  all  the  time  going  down 
the  mountains ;  and,  as  this  poor  fellow  was  breathing 
his  last  in  his  bed,  he  cried  out,  "  I  am  on  the  down 
grade,  and  can't  reach  the  brake  ! "  As  they  told  me 
of  it,  I  thought  how  many  more  were  on  the  down 
grade,  and  could  not  reach  the  brake,  and  were  dying 
without  God  and  without  hope. 

Thankfulness.  —  One  reason  why  we  don't  have 
more  answers  to  our  prayers  is  because  we  are  not 
thankful  enough.  The  divine  injunction  is,  "  Be  care- 
ful for  nothing ;  but  in  every  thing  by  prayer  and  sup- 
plication with  thanksgiving  let  your  requests  be 
made  known  unto  God."  Some  one  has  well  said  there 
are  three  things  in  this  verse,  —  careful  for  nothing, 
prayerful  for  every  thing,  thankful  for  any  thing. 

The  Kiss  of  Judas.  —  Judas  got  near  enough  to 
Christ  to  kiss  him,  and  yet  went  down  to  damnation. 


THE   JUNIPER-TREE.  335 

Nearness  to  God.  —  If  you  want  to  introduce  sin- 
ners to  God,  you  must  be  near  to  God  and  to  the  sinner 
too ;  and,  if  a  man  is  near  God,  he  will  have  a  love  for 
the  sinner,  and  his  heart  will  be  near  that  man.  But 
until  we  are  brought  near  to  God  ourselves,  we  cannot 
introduce  men  to  God. 

The  Book  of  Wonders.  —  A  man  once  wanted  to 
sell  me  a  "  Book  of  Wonders."  I  took  it,  and  looked  it 
over,  and  could  not  find  any  thing  in  it  about  Calvary. 
What  a  mistake  !  —  a  book  of  wonders,  and  the  greatest 
wonder  of  all  left  out ! 

Strength  in  God. — When  God  wants  to  move  a 
mountain,  he  does  not  take  the  bar  of  iron,  but  he 
takes  the  little  worm. 

The  fact  is,  we  have  got  too  much  strength.  We  are 
not  weak  enough.  It  is  not  our  strength  that  we  want. 
One  drop  of  God's  strength  is  worth  more  than  all  the 
world. 

The  Juniper-Tree.  —  Many  of  the  Bible  charac- 
ters fell  just  in  the  things  in  which  they  were  thought 
to  be  strongest.  Moses  failed  in  his  humility,  Abraham 
in  his  faith,  Elijah  in  his  courage  —  for  one  woman 
scared  him  away  to  that  juniper-tree  ;  and  Peter,  whose 
strong  point  was  boldness,  was  so  frightened  by  a  maid 
as  to  deny  his  Lord. 


336  THREE    FATAL  STEPS. 

A  Reason  for  our  Faith.  —  I  like  a  man  to  be 
able  to  give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  is  in  him.  Once 
I  asked  a  man  what  he  believed,  and  he  said  he  believed 
what  his  church  believed.  I  asked  him  what  his  church 
believed,  and  he  said  he  supposed  his  church  believed 
what  he  did.     And  that  was  all  I  could  get  out  of  him. 

"I  AM  Lost!"  —  A  man  got  right  up  behind  me, 
and  he  trembled  as  he  said,  "lam  lost :  I  want  you  to 
pray  for  my  soul."  And  I  said,  "  What  if  Noah  had 
heard  that?  He  worked  a  hundred  and  twenty  years, 
and  never  had  a  man  come  to  him  and  say  that ;  and  . 
yet  he  didn't  get  discouraged."  And  I  made  up  my 
mind  then,  that,  God  helping  me,  I  never  would  get 
discouraged:  I  would  do  the  best  I  could  do,  and 
leave  the  results  with  God ;  and  it  has  been  a  wonder- 
ful help  to  me. 

Faith.  —  Faith  says  "  Amen  "  to  every  thing  that 
God  says.  Faith  takes  God  without  any  ifs.  If  God 
says  it,  faith  says,  "  I  believe  it;  "  faith  says  "  Amen  " 
to  it. 

Three  Fatal  Steps.  —  There  are  three  steps  to  the 
lost  world.  The  first  is  neglect.  All  a  man  has  to  do 
is  to  neglect  salvation,  and  that  will  take  him  to  the 
lost  world.  I  am  on  a  swift  river,  and  lying  in  the 
bottom  of  my  little  boat ;  all  I  have  to  do  is  to  fold  my 
arms,  and  the  current  will  carry  me  out  to  sea.     All  a 


BRAVERY.  337 

man  has  to  do  in  the  current  of  life  is  to  fold  his  arms, 
and  he  will  drift  on  and  be  lost.  The  second  step  is 
refusal.     The  last  step  is  to  despise  the  love  of  Christ. 

Garibaldi.  —  Although  I  don't  admire  his  ideas,  I 
do  admire  the  enthusiasm  of  that  man  Garibaldi. 

It  is  reported,  that,  when  he  marched  towards  Rome 
in  1867,  they  took  him  up  and  threw  him  into  prison  ; 
and  he  sat  right  down,  and  wrote  to  his  comrades,  "  If 
fifty  Garibaldis  are  thrown  into  prison,  let  Rome  be 
free."  That  is  the  spirit.  Who  is  Garibaldi?  That 
is  nothing.  "  If  fifty  Garibaldis  are  thrown  into  prison, 
let  Rome  be  free."  That  is  what  we  want  in  the  cause 
of  Christ. 

Leanness  and  Laziness.  —  A  good  many  people 
are  complaining  all  "the  time  about  themselves,  and 
crying  out,  "  My  leanness,  my  leanness  ! "  when  they 
ought  rather  to  say,  "  My  laziness,  my  laziness !  " 

What  John  Wesley  said.  —  I  believe  in  what 
John  Wesley  used  to  say,  "  All  at  it,  and  always  at 
it ;  "  and  that  is  what  the  Church  wants  to  say. 

Bravery.  —  There  is  a  story  told  in  history  in  the 
ninth  century,  I  believe,  of  a  young  man  that  came 
up  with  a  little  handful  of  men  to  attack  a  king  who 
had  a  great  army  of  three  thousand  men.  The  young 
man  had  only  five  hundred ;  and  the  king  sent  a  mes- 


338  THE   DEAD   SEA. 

senger  to  the  young  man,  saying  that  he  need  not  fear 
to  surrender,  for  he  would  treat  him  mercifully.  The 
young  man  called  up  one  of  his  soldiers,  and  said, 
"  Take  this  dagger,  and  drive  it  into  your  heart ;  "  and 
the  soldier  took  the  dagger,  and  drove  it  into  his  heart. 
And,  calling  up  another,  he  said  to  him,  "  Leap  into 
yonder  chasm ;  "  and  the  man  leaped  into  the  chasm. 
The  young  man  then  said  to  the  messenger,  "  Go  back 
and  tell  your  king  I  have  got  five  hundred  men  like 
these.  We  will  die,  but  we  will  never  surrender;  and 
tell  your  king  another  thing,  —  that  I  will  have  him 
chained  with  my  dog  inside  of  half  an  hour."  And, 
when  the  king  heard  that,  he  did  not  dare  to  meet 
them,  and  his  army  fled  before  them  like  chaff  before 
the  wind ;  and  within  twenty-four  hours  he  had  that 
king  chained  with  his  dog.  That  is  the  kind  of  zeal  we 
want. 

A  Faething  Rushlight.  —  Some  one  said,  "  I  can- 
not be  an}'  thing  more  than  a  farthing  rushlight." 

Well,  if  you  can't  be  more,  be  that:  that  is  well 
enough.     Be  all  you  can. 

The  Dead  Sea.  —  What  makes  the  Dead  Sea  dead  ? 
Because  it  is  all  the  time  receiving,  never  giving  out 
any  thing. 

Why  is  it  that  many  Christians  are  cold  ?  Because 
they  are  all  the  time  receiving,  never  giving  out  any 
thing. 


THE  POWER   OF  A  SMILE.  339 

Adversity.  —  John  Bunyan  thanked  God  more  for 
Bedford  Jail  than  for  any  thing  that  ever  happened  to 
him. 

Workers  Wanted.  —  It  is  not  enough  to  come  to 
these  meetings  :  we  want  ten  thousand  workers  in  New 
York  City. 

We  want  ten  thousand  men  and  women  that  are 
willing  to  say,  "  Lord,  here  am  I ;  use  me." 

Ten  thousand  such  people  would  revolutionize  this 
city  in  a  little  while. 

The  Missing  Stone.  —  I  remember  hearing  of  a 
man's  dream,  in  which  he  imagined  that  when  he  died 
he  was  taken  by  the  angels  to  a  beautiful  temple.  After 
admiring  it  for  a  time,  he  discovered  that  one  stone 
was  missing,  —  all  finished  but  just  one  little  stone  ; 
that  was  left  out.  He  said  to  the  angel,  "  What  is  that 
stone  left  out  for  ?  "  The  angel  replied,  "  That  was 
left  out  for  you ;  but  you  wanted  to  do  great  things, 
and  so  there  was  no  room  left  for  you."  He  was 
startled,  and  awoke,  and  resolved  that  he  would  be- 
come a  worker  for  God ;  and  that  man  always  worked 
faithfully  after  that. 

The  Power  of  a  Smile.  —  Won  to  Christ  by  a 
smile.  We  must  get  the  wrinkles  out  of  our  brows, 
and  we  must  have  smiling  faces. 

The  world  is  after  the  best  thing ;  and  we  must  show 


3-40  LIGHT   SHINING. 

them  that  we  have  got  something  better  than  they  have 
got. 

How  so:me  are  Converted.  —  A  good  many  men 
are  converted  to  a  church.  They  say,  "  I  like  that 
church  ;  it  is  a  beautiful  church,  and  there  is  beautiful 
singing.  I  like  that  quartet  choir,  and  the  grand 
organ  ;  and  there  is  a  good  minister."  And  so  they  are 
converted  to  the  church,  and  they  are  converted  to  the 
singing,  and  converted  to  the  organ,  and  converted  to 
the  minister,  or  they  are  converted  to  the  people  who 
go  there.  But  that  is  not  being  born  of  God,  or  being 
converted  to  God. 

The  Roll-call  of  Heaven.  —  A  soldier  lay  on  his 
dying  couch,  during  our  last  war,  and  they  heard  him 
say,  "  Here  !  "  They  asked  him  what  he  wanted,  and 
he  put  up  his  hand  and  said,  "  Hush  !  they  are  calling 
the  roll  of  heaven,  and  I  am  answering  to  my  name." 
And  presently  he  whispered,  "  Here  !  "  and  he  was 
gone. 

Light  shining.  —  A  friend  of  mine  was  walking 
along  the  streets  one  dark  night,  when  he  saw  a  man 
coming  along  with  a  lantern.  As  he  came  up  close  to 
him,  he  noticed  by  the  bright  light  that  the  man  had 
no  eyes.  He  went  past  him  ;  but  the  thought  struck 
him,  "  Surely  that  man  is  blind  !  "  He  turned  round, 
and  said,  "  My  friend,  are  you  not  blind  ?  "  —  "  Yes," 


CHRISTIAN  LOVE.  341 

was  the  answer.  "  Then  what  have  you  got  the  lantern 
for  ?  "  —  "I  carry  the  lantern,"  said  the  blind  man, 
"  that  people  may  not  stumble  over  me." 

Let  us  hold  up  our  light,  burning  with  the  clear 
radiance  of  heaven,  that  men  may  not  stumble  over  us. 

The  Prairie  Fire.  —  Away  out  on  the  frontier  of 
our  country,  out  on  the  prairies,  where  men  sometimes 
go  to  hunt  or  for  other  purposes,  the  grass  in  the  dry 
season  sometimes  catches  fire ;  and  you  will  see  the 
flames  uprise  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high,  and  you  will 
see  those  flames  rolling  over  the  western  desert  faster 
than  any  fleet  horse  can  run.  Now,  what  do  the  men 
do  ?  They  know  it  is  sure  death  unless  they  can  make 
some  escape.  They  would  try  to  run  away,  perhaps, 
if  they  had  fleet  horses.  But  they  can't.  That  fire 
goes  faster  than  the  fleetest  horse  can  run.  What  do 
they  do  ?  Why,  they  just  take  a  match,  and  they  light 
the  grass  from  it,  and  away  it  burns ;  and  then  they 
get  into  that  burnt  district.  The  fire  comes  on,  and 
there  they  stand  perfectly  secure  —  nothing  to  fear. 
Why?  Because  the  fire  has  burned  all  there  is  to 
burn. 

Take  your  stand  there  on  Mount  Calvary. 

Christian  Love.  —  The  morning  I  was  converted, 
I  went  out  doors,  and  I  fell  in  love  with  the  bright  sun 
shining  over  the  earth.  I  never  loved  the  sun  before. 
And,  when  I  heard  the  birds  singing  their  sweet  songs, 


342  LOVE  ABOVE  DUTY. 

I  fell  in  love  with  the  birds.  Like  the  Scotch  lassie 
who  stood  on  the  hills  of  her  native  land,  breathing  the 
sweet  air,  and  when  asked  why  she  did  it,  said,  "  I 
love  the  Scotch  air." 

If  the  church  was  filled  with  love.,  it  could  do  so 
much  more. 

Any  One  but  Me.  —  There  are  few  now  that  say, 
"  Here  am  I,  Lord ;  send  me."  The  cry  now  is, 
"  Send  some  one  else.  Send  the  minister,  send  the 
church  officers,  the  church-wardens,  the  elders,  but 
not  me.  I  have  not  got  the  ability,  the  gifts,  or  the 
talents."  Ah!  honestly  say  you  have  not  got  the 
heart ;  for,  if  the  heart  is  loyal,  God  can  use  you.  It  is 
really  all  a  matter  of  heart. 

It  does  not  take  God  a  great  while  to  qualify  a 
man  for  his  work,  if  he  only  has  the  heart  for  it. 

Love  above  Duty.  —  I  am  tired  of  the  word  "  duty," 
tired  of  hearing,  duty,  duty,  duty !  Men  go  to  church 
because  it  is  their  duty.  They  go  to  prayer-meeting 
because  it  is  their  duty.  You  can  never  reach  a  man's 
heart  if  you  talk  to  him  because  it  is  your  duty.  Sup- 
pose I  told  my  wife  I  loved  her  because  it  was  my  duty 
—  what  would  she  say  ?  Once  every  year  I  go  up  to 
Connecticut  to  visit  my  aged  mother.  Suppose  when  I 
go  next  time,  I  should  tell  her  that  I  knew  she  was  old, 
and  that  she  was  living  on  borrowed  time ;  that  I  knew 
she  had  always  done  a  great  deal  for  me,  and  that  I  came 


THE  LAW  OUR  LOOKING-GLASS.  343 

to  see  her  every  year  because  it  was  my  duty.  Don't 
you  think  she  would  say,  "  Well,  then,  my  son,  you 
needn't  take  the  trouble  to  come  again "  ?  Let  us 
strike  for  a  higher  plane. 

A  Great  Lie.  —  One  of  the  greatest  lies  that  has 
come  out  of  the  pit  of  hell  is  that  Christ  is  a  hard 
master.  It  is  a  lie,  and  has  been  so  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world. 

Oh,  young  men  !  I  beg  of  you,  do  not  believe  the 
Devil  when  he  says  that-  God  is  a  hard  master.  It  is 
false,  my  friends ;  and  to-night  let  me  brand  that 
excuse  as  one  of  the  Devil's  own  lies,  that  he  has  been 
retailing  up  and  down  the  earth  for  these  six  thousand 
years. 

Your  Biography.  —  If  you  want  to  read  your  own 
biography,  you  need  not  write  it  yourself.  Turn  to  the 
third  chapter  of  Romans,  and  it  is  all  there  written  by 
a  man  who  knows  a  good  deal  more  about  us  than  we 
do  about  ourselves.  Christ  was  the  only  one  that  ever 
trod  this  earth,  that  saw  every  thing  in  the  heart  of 
man. 

The  Law  our  Looking  -  Glass.  —  The  law  is  a 
looking-glass,  just  to  show  a  man  how  foul  he  is  in  the 
sight  of  God. 


344  MAN    A   FAILURE. 

How  Earth  looks  to  One  near  Heaven.  — 
When  men  going  up  in  a  balloon  have  ascended  a  little 
height,  things  down  here  begin  to  look  very  small 
indeed.  What  had  seemed  very  grand  and  imposing 
now  seem  as  mere  nothings ;  and,  the  higher  they  rise, 
the  smaller  every  thing  on  earth  appears:  it  gets 
fainter  and  fainter  as  they  rise,  till  the  railway-train, 
dashing  along  at  fifty  miles  an  hour,  seems  like  a 
thread,  and  scarcely  appears  to  be  moving  at  all ;  and 
the  grand  piles  of  buildings  seem  now  like  mere  dots. 
So  it  is  when  we  get  near  heaven  :  earth's  treasures, 
earth's  cares,  look  very  small. 

Failing  to  fulfil  the  Law.  —  My  father  once 
told  me  that  in  England  the  archers  used  to  shoot  at  a 
ring,  and,  if  any  archer  failed  to  shoot  all  his  arrows 
through  the  ring,  he  was  called  a  sinner.  Xow,  suppose 
I  should  take  ten  arrows,  and  try  to  send  them  through 
a  rins:  at  the  other  side  of  the  building,  and  should 
only  get  one  through:  I  should  be  called  a  sinner. 
And  suppose  Brother  Taylor  should  take  as  mam- 
arrows,  and  send  nine  through,  one  after  the  other,  and 
just  miss  the  ring  with  the  last  one ;  why,  he  would  be 
a  sinner  too,  just  like  me. 

Man  a  Failure.  —  One  man  says,  "  Give  me  more 
money;"  another,  "Give  me  a  seat  in  Congress;" 
another,  "  Give  me  a  bottle  of  rum."  Ah  !  it  is  easy  to 
condemn  the  Israelites,  it  is  easy  to  smile ;  but  beware 


A  GOOD  RESOLVE.  345 

that  you  are  not  guilty  of  the  same  sin.  Man  was  a 
failure  under  the  judges,  a  failure  under  the  prophets, 
and  now  for  two  thousand  years  under  grace  he  has 
been  a  most  stupendous  failure.  Walk  the  streets,  and 
see  how  quickly  he  goes  to  ruin ;  how  many  are  hasten- 
ing down  to  the  dark  caves  of  sin !  Man  in  his  best 
day,  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  is  nothing 
but  a  failure. 

Chatx  and  All.  —  In  the  North  there  was  a  minis- 
ter talking  to  a  man  in  the  inquiry-room.  He  said, 
"My  heart  is  so  hard,  it  seems  as  if  it  was  chained; 
and  I  cannot  come." — "Ah!"  said  the  minister, 
"  come  to  Christ,  chain  and  all."  And  he  just  came  to 
Christ;  and  Christ  snapped  the  fetters,  and  set  him 
free,  right  there. 

The  Scarlet  Thread.  —  The  grace  of  God  brings 
grace  down  to  men.  Substitution!  If  you  take  that 
out  of  the  Bible,  you  can  take  the  Bible  along  with  }~ou 
if  you  wish  to.  The  same  story  runs  all  through  the 
book.  The  scarlet  thread  is  unbroken  from  Genesis  to 
Revelation.  The  hymns  that  have  the  scarlet  line 
running  through  them  will  never  be  lost. 

A  Good  Resolve.  —  I  made  it  a  rule  that  I  wouldn't 
let  a  day  pass  without  speaking  to  some  one  about  their 
soul's  salvation ;  and,  if  they  didn't  hear  the  gospel 
from  the  lips  of  others,  there  will  be  three  hundred  and 


346  THE   INFIDEL. 

sixty-five  in  a  year  that  shall  hear  the  gospel  from  my 
lips.  There  are  five  thousand  Christians  here  to-night : 
can't  they  say,  "  We  won't  let  a  day  pass  without 
speaking  to  some  one  about  the  cause  of  Christ "  ? 

The  Infidel.  —  When  we  were  in  Edinburgh,  a 
man  came  to  me,  and  said,  "  Over  yonder  is  one  of  our 
most  prominent  infidels  in  Edinburgh.  I  wish  you 
would  go  over  and  see  him." 

I  took  my  seat  beside  him,  and  I  asked  him  if  he  was 
a  Christian.  He  laughed  at  me,  and  said  he  didn't  be- 
lieve in  the  Bible.  "  Well,"  said  I,  after  talking  some 
time,  "  will  you  let  me  pray  with  you  ?  will  you  let  me 
pray  for  you  ?  "  —  "  Yes,"  said  he :  "  just  pray,  and  see 
if  God  will  answer  your  prayer.  Now  let  the  question 
be  decided."  —  "  Will  you  kneel?"  —  "  No,  I  won't 
kneel:  who  am  I  going  to  kneel  before?"  He  said 
it  with  considerable  emphasis.  I  got  down  and  prayed 
beside  the  infidel.  He  sat  very  straight,  so  that  the 
people  should  understand  that  he  was  not  in  sym- 
pathy at  all  with  my  prayer.  After  I  got  through, 
I  said,  "  Well,  my  friend,  I  believe  that  God  will  an- 
swer my  prayers ;  and  I  want  you  to  let  me  know  when 
you  are  saved."  —  "  Yes,  I  will  let  you  know  when  I  am 
saved,"  —  all  with  considerable  sarcasm.  At  last  up  at 
Wick,  at  a  meeting  in  the  open  air  one  night,  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  crowd  I  saw  the  Edinburgh  infidel. 
He  said,  "  Didn't  I  tell  }*ou  God  wouldn't  answer  your 
prayer  ?  "      I  said,  "  The  Lord  will  answer  my  prayer 


THE   CROWN.  347 

yet."  I  had  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  him,  and 
left  him ;  and  just  a  year  ago  this  month,  when  we  were 
preaching  in  Liverpool,  I  got  a  letter  from  one  of  the 
leading  pastors  of  Edinburgh,  stating  that  the  Edin- 
burgh infidel  had  found  his  way  to  Christ,  and  found 
the  Lord.  He  wrote  an  interesting  letter,  saying  how 
God  had  saved  him. 

The  Substitute.  —  Napoleon  Bonaparte  once  sent 
out  a  draft.  A  man  was  drafted  who  didn't  want  to 
go.  A  friend  volunteered  to  go  in  his  place.  He  went 
into  the  army,  and  was  killed.  A  second  draft  was 
made,  and  by  some  accident  the  same  man  was  drafted 
again ;  but  he  said  to  the  officer,  "  You  can't  take  me  : 
I'm  dead;  I  died  on  such  a  battle-field."  —  "  Why,  man, 
you  are  crazy,"  said  the  officer.  "  You  are  not  dead : 
here  you  are  alive  and  well  before  me."  —  "No,  sir," 
said  the  man :  "I  am  dead.  The  law  has  no  claim  on 
me :  look  at  the  roll."  They  looked,  and  found  another 
name  written  against  his.  They  insisted ;  he  carried 
his  case  before  the  emperor,  who  said  that  he  was  right : 
his  friend  had  died  for  him.     Christ  died  for  me. 

HOW    TO   GET    INTO    THE   KINGDOM    OF    GOD.  —  The 

only  way  to  get  into  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  to  be  born 
into  it. 

The  Ceown.  —  When  you  are  in  London  you  may 
go  to  the  Tower  and  see  the  crown  of  England,  which 


348  LOSS   OF  THE  SOUL. 

is  worth  millions,  and  is  guarded  there  Ly  soldiers ;  but 
bear  in  mind  that  your  eye  will  never  rest  upon  the 
crown  of  life  except  you  are  born  again. 

The  Suegeon  and  his  Patient.  —  When  I  was 
in  Belfast,  I  knew  a  doctor  who  had  a  friend,  a  leading 
surgeon  there ;  and  he  told  me  that  the  surgeon's  cus- 
tom was,  before  performing  an  operation,  to  say  to  the 
patient,  "  Take  a  good  look  at  the  wound,  and  then  fix 
your  eyes  on  me,  and  don't  take  them  off  till  I  get 
through."  I  thought  at  the  time  that  was  a  good  illus- 
tration. Sinner,  take  a  good  look  at  the  wound  to-night, 
and  then  fix  your  eye  on  Christ,  and  don't  take  it  off. 
It  is  better  to  look  at  the  remedy  than  at  the  wound. 

Blazing.  —  When  a  man  goes  into  the  wilderness  to 
hunt,  he  takes  a  hatchet  with  him,  and  cuts  the  bark  off 
the  trees,  —  they  call  it  "  blazing,  "  —  and  thus  he  can 
find  his  way  out.  So  God  has  blazed  the  way  along : 
he  has  gone  up  on  high,  and  he  says,  "  Follow  me." 
Just  come  now,  and  follow  the  Son  of  God,  for  there  is 
life  there. 

Loss  of  the  Soul.  —  We  hear  of  a  man  who  has 
lost  his  health ;  and  we  sympathize  with  hint,  and  we 
say  it  is  very  sad.  Our  hearts  are  drawn  out  in  sympa- 
thy. Here  is  another  man  who  has  lost  his  wealth,  and 
we  say,  "  That  is  very  sad.''  Here  is  another  man  who 
has  lost  his  reputation,  his  standing  among  men.   "  That 


GOD  AND  THE   WOULD    WITH   HIM.  349 

is  sadder  still,"  you  say.  We  know  what  it  is  to  lose 
health  and  wealth  and  reputation  ;  but  what  is  the  loss 
of  all  these  things,  compared  with  the  loss  of  the  soul  ? 

Christ  our  Burden-Bearer.  —  A  minister  was 
moving  his  library  up  stairs.  His  little  boy  wanted  to 
help  him :  so  he  gave  him  the  biggest  book  he  could 
find,  and  the  little  fellow  tugged  at  it  till  he  got  it 
about  half  way  up,  and  then  he  sat  down  and  cried. 
His  father  found  him,  and  just  took  him  in  his  arms,  big 
book  and  all,  and  carried  him  up  stairs.  So  Christ  will 
carry  you  and  all  your  burdens. 

God  and  the  World  with  Hem.  —  Some  men  have 
an  idea  when  they  get  converted,  that  they  have  got  to 
keep  Christ  and  themselves  too.  It  is  all  wrong.  I 
remember  one  time  my  little  girl  was  teasing  her 
mother  to  get  her  a  muff,  and  so  one  day  her  mother 
brought  a  muff  home ;  and,  although  it  was  storming, 
she  very  naturally  wanted  to  go  out  in  order  to  try  her 
new  muff.  So  she  tried  to  get  me  to  go  out  with  her, 
I  went  out  with  her,  and  I  said,  "  Emma,  better  let  me 
take  your  hand."  She  wanted  to  keep  her  hands  in 
her  muff,  and  so  she  refused  to  take  my  hand.  Well, 
by  and  by  she  came  to  an  icy  place  :  her  little  feet 
slipped,  and  down  she  went.  When  I  helped  her  up, 
she  said,  "  Papa,  you  may  give  me  your  little  ringer." 
—  "  No  my  daughter :  just  take  my  hand."  —  "  No,  no, 
papa :   give  me  your  little  finger."     Well,  I  gave  my 


350  now. 

finger  to  her,  and  for  a  little  way  she  got  along  nicely ; 
but  pretty  soon  we  came  to  another  icy  place,  and  again 
she  fell.  This  time  she  hurt  herself  a  little,  and  she 
said,  "Papa,  give  me  your  hand  ;  "  and  I  gave  her  my 
hand,  and  closed  my  fingers  about  her  wrist,  and  held 
her  up,  so  that  she  could  not  fall.  Just  so  God  is  our 
keeper. 

Following  the  Shadow.  —  When  I  was  a  little 
boy  I  used  to  try  to  catch  my  shadow,  but  I  always 
failed.  Many  a  time  I  might  try  to  see  if  I  could  jump 
over  my  head  ;  many  a  time  I  tried  to  see  if  I  could  not 
outrun  it ;  but  it  always  kept  ahead  of  me.  But  I 
turned  around,  and  faced  the  sun,  and,  lo  and  behold ! 
my  shadow  was  coming  after  me.  And  so  we  want  to 
look  towards  Christ,  and  peace  and  joy  and  happiness 
will  come  in  turn. 

God's  Love  displayed.  —  The  best  title  you  can 
have  to  salvation  is  to  find  out  that  you  are  lost.  It 
was  Adam's  fall  that  brought  out  God's  love.  God 
never  told  Adam,  when  he  put  him  in  Eden,  that  he 
loved  him.  It  was  after  he  was  lost.  It  was  that  very 
thing  that  brought  out  the  love  of  God. 

Xow.  —  I  heard  some  one  in  the  inquiry-room  telling 
a  young  person  to  go  home  and  seek  Christ  in  his  closet. 
I  would  not  dare  to  tell  any  one  to  do  that.  You 
might  be  dead  before  you  got  home.     If  I  read  my  * 


THE   HEART   RULES   THE  HEAD.  351 

Bible  correctly,  the  man  who  preaches  the  gospel  is 
not  the  man  who  tells  me  to  seek  Christ  to-morrow,  or 
an  hour  hence,  but  NOW.  He  is  near  to  every  one  of 
us  this  minute  to  save.  If  the  world  would  just  come 
to  God  for  salvation,  and  be  in  earnest  about  it,  they 
would  find  the  Son  of  God  right  at  the  door  of  their 
heart. 

The  Life-Boat.  —  I  read  a  number  of  years  ago  of 
a  vessel  that  was  wrecked.  The  life-boats  were  not 
enough  to  take  all  the  passengers.  A  man  who  was 
swimming  in  the  water  swam  up  to  one  of  the  life- 
boats that  were  full,  and  seized  it  with  his  hand.  They 
tried  to  prevent  him,  but  the  man  was  terribly  in  ear- 
nest about  saving  his  life ;  and  one  of  the  men  in  the 
boat  just  drew  a  sword,  and  cut  off  his  hand.  But  the 
man  didn't  give  up  :  he  reached  out  the  other  hand. 
He  was  terribly  in  earnest.  He  wanted  to  save  his  life. 
But  the  man  in  the  boat  took  the  sword,  and  cut  ofT  his 
other  hand.  But  the  man  did  not  give  up.  He  swam 
up  to  the  boat,  and  seized  it  with  his  teeth.  Some  of 
them  said,  "  Let  us  not  cut  his  head  off,"  and  they  drew 
him  in.  That  man  was  terribly  in  earnest ;  and,  my 
friends,  if  you  want  to  get  into  the  kingdom  of  God, 
you  will  seek  your  souls'  salvation  to-night. 

The  Heart  rules  the  Head.  —  If  your  heart  is 
all  right,  your  head  will  be  also,  for  out  of  the  heart 
proceeds  all  evil.     Let  the  reservoir  of  sin  be  broken 


352  THE  CONVERSION   OF  A  LADY. 

up   and  emptied,  and  all  the  rest  of  you  will   come 
around  right. 

To  the  Rescue.  —  May  God  wake  up  a  slumbering 
church !  What  we  want  men  to  do  is  not  to  shout 
"  Amen,"  and  clasp  their  hands.  The  deepest  and 
quietest  waters  very  often  run  swiftest.  We  want  men 
to  go  right  to  work  :  there  will  be  a  chance  for  you  to 
shout  by  and  by.  Go  and  speak  to  your  neighbor,  and 
tell  him  of  Christ  and  heaven.  You  need  not  go  a  few 
yards  down  these  streets,  before  you  find  some  one  who 
is  passing  down  to  the  darkness  of  eternal  death.  Let 
us  haste  to  the  rescue ! 

The  Conversion  of  a  Lady.  —  When  Mr.  Sankey 
and  I  were  in  the  North  of  England,  I  was  preaching 
one  evening,  and  before  me  sat  a  lady  who  was  a 
sceptic.  When  I  had  finished,  I  asked  all  who  were 
anxious,  to  remain.  Nearly  all  remained,  herself  among 
the  number.  I  asked  her  if  she  was  a  Christian ;  and 
she  said  she  was  not,  nor  did  she  care  to  be.  I  prayed 
for  her  there.  On  inquiry  I  learned  that  she  was  a 
lady  of  good  social  position,  but  very  worldly.  She 
continued  to  attend  the  meetings ;  and,  in  a  week  after, 
I  saw  her  in  tears.  After  the  sermon  I  went  to  her, 
and  asked  if  she  was  of  the  same  mind  as  before.  She 
replied  that  Christ  had  come  to  her,  and  she  was 
happy.  Last  autumn  I  had  a  note  from  her  husband, 
saying  that  she  was  dead,  that  her  love  for  her  Master 
had  sustained  her. 


THE   NORWEGIAN  BOY.  353 

Belief  precedes  Good  Works.  —  You  cannot  do 
any  thing  to  please  God  until  you  believe.  Suppose  I 
should  say  to  my  little  girl,  "  Emma,  go  and  get  me  a 
glass  of  water,"  and  she  were  to  say,  "  I  don't  want  to 
do  it,  papa."  She  goes  into  another  room,  and  some  one 
gives  her  a  cluster  of  grapes,  which  she  decides  to  give 
to  her  papa.  Do  you  think  these  grapes  would  be 
acceptable  if  she  did  not  want  to  get  the  water?  I 
should  say,  "  I  do  not  want  the  grapes  until  you  have 
brought  the  water." 

She  goes  out  of  the  room  again,  and  some  one  gives 
her  an  orange.  If  she  brought  the  orange  to  me,  do 
you  think  I  should  want  it  ?  Xo,  and  that  child  cannot 
do  any  thing  to  please  me  until  I  get  the  water.  You 
cannot  please  God  until  you  believe  on  his  Son. 

The  Norwegian  Boy.  —  I  was  in  a  Boston  prayer- 
meeting  a  number  of  years  ago  —  but  I  ought  to  say 
that  I  have  lived  for  a  number  of  years  out  West,  a 
number  of  years  in  Chicago  ;  and  you  know  that  that 
part  of  the  country  is  made  up  principally  of  young 
men.  At  any  rate,  the  prayer-meetings  were  for  the 
most  part  made  up  of  young  men,  —  I  hardly  saw  a  gray- 
headed  man  in  them  at  all.  So  while  I  was  in  Boston 
it  was  quite  a  treat  to  see  old,  gray-headed  men  in  the 
assemblies.  Well,  in  that  meeting,  a  little  tow-headed 
Norwegian  boy  stood  up.  He  could  hardly  speak  a 
word  of  English  plain,  but  he  got  up,  and  came  to  the 
front.     He  trembled  all  over,  and   the  tears  were  all 


354  WHAT   IS   WANTED. 

trickling  down  his  cheeks ;  but  he  spoke  out  as  well  as 
he  could,  and  said,  "  If  I  tell  the  world  about  Jesus, 
then  will  he  tell  the  Father  about  me."  He  then  took 
his  seat.  That  was  all  he  said  ;  but  I  tell  you,  in  those 
few  words  he  said  more  than  all  of  them,  old  and  young, 
together.  Those  few  words  went  straight  down  into 
the  heart  of  every  one  present. 

"If  I  tell  the  world,"  —  yes,  that's  what  it  means 
to  confess  Christ. 

The  Wobm  that  dieth  not.  —  I  believe  that  worm 
that  dieth  not  is  our  memory.  I  believe  that  what 
will  make  that  lost  world  so  terrible  to  us  is  memory. 
We  say  now  that  we  forget,  and  we  think  we  do  ;  but 
the  time  is  coming  when  we  will  remember,  and  we 
cannot  forget. 

There  are  many  things  we  will  want  to  forget,  espe- 
cially our  sins  that  have  been  blotted  out  by  God.  If 
God  has  forgotten  them,  you  would  think  we  ought  to 
forget  them.  Every  sin  that  has  been  so  taken  away 
and  covered  up  except  the  blood  of  his  own  Son  will 
come  back  to  us  by  and  by. 

What  is  wanted.  —  If  you  can  only  convince  the 
greatest  blasphemer  and  infidel  in  New  York  that  you 
really  love  him,  you  can  reach  him. 

What  we  want,  therefore,  is  this  love;  and  that  is 
the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  impart ;  and  let  us  pray 
to-day  that  the  love  of  God  ma}'  be  shed  abroad  in  all 
our  hearts. 


ALL  ONE  IN  CHRIST.  355 

The  true  Idea  of  preaching.  —  The  true  idea  of 
preaching  is  to  cry  down  yourself  and  the  Devil,  and  to 
preach  up  no  one  but  God. 

The  Bible  its  own  Interpreter.  —  If  you  just 
take  the  Bible  itself  alone,  without  any  other  book  to 
help  you  to  interpret  it,  one  passage  will  explain  an- 
other. Instead  of  running  after  the  interpretations  of 
different  men,  let  God  interpret  it  to  your  soul. 

Not  Bibles  enough.  —  People  do  not  have  Bibles 
enough.  Once  in  my  own  Sunday  school,  I  asked  all 
the  children  who  had  on  borrowed  boots  to  rise ;  no 
one  rose.  Then  I  asked  all  those  who  had  on  borrowed 
coats  to  rise ;  no  one  rose.  Then  I  asked  all  those 
who  had  borrowed  Testaments  in  their  hands  to  rise, 
and  they  all  went  up ;  and  I  said,  u  I  want  you  all  to 
bring  your  Bibles  with  you."  And  about  two  months 
after  that,  it  would  have  done  your  soul  good  to  see 
every  child  come  with  a  Bible. 

All  One  in  Christ.  —  The  blood  of  Christ  makes 
us  one.  During  the  days  of  slavery  in  America,  when 
there  was  much  political  strife  and  strong  prejudice 
against  the  black  men,  especially  by  Irishmen,  I  heard 
a  preacher  say,  when  he  came  to  the  cross  for  salvation, 
he  found  a  poor  negro  on  the  right  hand,  and  an  Irish- 
man on  the  left  hand,  and  the  blood  came  trickling 
down  upon  them,  and  made  them  one. 


356  HIGHER   UP. 

There  may  be  strife  in  the  world,  but  every  one 
Christ  has  redeemed,  he  has  made  one.  We  are  blood 
relations. 

Money  for  Christ.  —  When  men  go  up  in  balloons 
they  take  with  them  bags  of  sand  for  ballast ;  and  when 
they  want  to  rise  higher  they  throw  out  some  of  the 
sand.  Now,  there  are  some  Christians  who- before  they 
rise  higher  will  have  to  throw  out  some  ballast.  It  may 
be  money  or  any  other  worldly  consideration ;  but,  if 
the}^  wish  to  rise,  they  must  get  rid  of  it.  If  you  have 
got  overloaded,  just  throw  out  a  little  money,  and  you 
will  mount  up  as  on  eagle's  wings.  Any  minister  will 
tell  you  what  to  do  with  it.  I  never  saw  any  depart- 
ment of  the  Lord's  work  that  did  not  want  some  money. 

Higher  up.  —  Xot  long  ago  there  lived  an  old  bed- 
ridden saint,  and  a  Christian  lady  who  visited  her  found 
her  always  very  cheerful.  This  visitor  had  a  lady 
friend  of  wealth,  who  constantly  looked  on  the  dark 
side  of  things,  and  was  always  cast  down,  although  she 
was  a  professed  Christian.  She  thought  it  would  do 
this  lady  good  to  see  the  bedridden  saint,  so  she  took 
her  down  to  the  house.  She  lived  up  in  the  garret,  five 
stories  up ;  and,  when  they  had  got  to  the  first  story, 
the  lady  drew  up  her  dress,  and  said,  "  How  dark  and 
filthy  it  is!  "  —  "  It  is  better  higher  up,"  said  her  friend. 
They  got  to  the  next  story,  and  it  was  no  better ;  the 
lady  complained  again,  but  her   friend  replied,  "It's 


THE   CHECK.  357 

better  higher  up."  At  the  third  floor  it  seemed  still 
worse,  and  the  lady  kept  complaining,  but  her  friend 
kept  saying,  "  It  is  better  higher  up."  At  last  they  got 
to  the  fifth  story ;  and,  when  they  went  into  the  sick- 
room, there  was  a  nice  carpet  on  the  floor,  there  were 
flowering  plants  in  the  window,  and  little  birds  singing. 
And  there  they  found  the  bedridden  saint,  —  one  of 
those  saints*  whom  God  is  polishing  for  Ins  own  tem- 
ple,—  just  beaming  with  joy.  The  lady  said  to  her, 
"It  must  be  very  hard  for  you  to  lie  there."  She  smiled, 
and  said,  "It  is  better  higher  up"  Yes;  and  if  things 
go  against  us,  my  friends,  let  us  remember  that  "  it  is 
better  higher  up." 

Sympathy  for  Suffering. — I  remember  when  our 
war  was  going  on,  I  took  up  the  morning  paper,  and 
read  of  a  terrible  battle,  —  ten  thousand  men  killed ;  and 
I  laid  the  paper  down,  and  forgot  it.  At  last  I  went 
into  the  battle-field,  and  helped  to  bear  away  the  sick 
and  wounded.  After  I  had  been  over  one  or  two 
battle-fields,  I  began  to  realize  what  it  meant.  I  could 
hear  the  dying  groans  of  the  men,  and  their  cry  for 
water ;  and,  when  I  heard  of  a  battle,  the  whole  thing 
was  stamped  upon  my  mind.  I  can  tell  you  how  a 
little  child  suffered,  and  it  will  bring  tears  to  your  eyes ; 
but  I  tell  you  how  the  Son  of  God  suffered,  and  some 
of  you  will  go  out  laughing. 

The   Check. —  When    Moses    said,   "If  they  ask 


358  PRAYER. 

me  who  sent  me,  what  shall  I  tell  them  ?  "  God  said, 
"  Say,  I  AM  sent  me."  And,  as  some  one  has  said, 
that  was  a  blank  check,  and  God  told  him  to  fill  it  out ; 
and  when  they  were  in  the  desert,  and  wanted  water, 
he  filled  out  the  check,  and  drew  water  from  the  rock ; 
when  he  wanted  bread,  he  filled  out  the  check,  and 
God  gave  him  bread  from  heaven. 

Silence  in  Heaven.  —  They  never  knew  the  Son 
of  God  when  he  was  here.  He  would  hush  every 
harp  in  heaven  to  hear  a  sinner  pray.  No  music  would 
delight  him  so  much. 

The  Eleventh  Hour.  —  Somebody  has  said,  "The 
thief  on  the  cross  was  saved  at  the  eleventh  hour."  I 
don't  know  about  that.  Perhaps  it  was  the  first  hour. 
It  might  have  been  the  first  hour  with  him,  I  think. 
Perhaps  he  never  knew  Christ  until  he  was  led  out  to 
die  beside  him.  This  may  have  been  the  very  first 
time  he  had  ever  learned  the  way  of  faith  in  the  Son 
of  God. 

Prayer. —  If  things  do  not  always  please  you, 
don't  complain  :   JUST  PRAY. 

A  Straight  Line.  —  When  I  was  a  boy  I  used  to 
try  to  describe  a  straight  path  through  the  snow  in  the 
fields  by  looking  down  at  my  feet.  The  way  to  make  a 
straight  path  would  be  to  look  at  an  object  beyond. 


TRUSTING..  359 

So  in  this  passage  we  are  directed  to  have  our  eyes  on 
the  mark  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Master. 

The  Scotch  Woman.  —  Some  one  said  to  a  Scotch 
woman,  "  You  are  a  woman  of  great  faith." 

"No,"  she  says  :  "  I  am  a  woman  of  little  faith ;  but 
I  have  got  a  great  God." 

Trusting.  —  My  little  Willie  I  once  told  to  jump 
off  a  high  table,  and  I  would  catch  him.  But  he  looked 
down,  and  said,  "  Papa,  I's  afraid."  I  again  told  him 
I'd  catch  him  ;  and  he  looked  down,  and  said,  "  Papa, 
I's  afraid."  You  smile ;  but  that's  just  the  way  with 
the  unbeliever.  He  looks  down,  and  dare  not  trust  the 
Lord.  You  say  that  would  be  blind  faith,  but  I  say  it 
wouldn't.  I  told  Willie  to  look  at  me,  and  then  jump ; 
and  he  did  it,  and  was  delighted.  He  wanted  to  jump 
again ;  and  finally  his  faith  became  so  great  that  he 
would  have  jumped  when  I  was  eight  or  ten  feet  away, 
and  said,  "  Papa,  I's  a-comin'." 

Pride  in  Error. — You  cannot  find  a  man  who  holds 
any  false  doctrine  of  religion  who  is  not  proud  of  it. 

Try  the  Bible  a  New  Way.  —  If  we  will  only  take 
our  Bible,  and  make  up  our  minds  that  we  will  depend 
upon  our  own  study  of  the  Bible,  He  will  help  us 
understand  it.  If  we  try  to  study  it  in  one  way,  and 
we  find  we  do  not  like  it,  let  us  take  up  another ;  and, 
if  that  fails,  try  another. 


360  A   RUN   UPON   THE  BANKS. 

Some  time  ago,  my  wife  was  very  anxious  that  I 
should  learn  to  like  tomatoes.  She  liked  them,  and 
she  wanted  me  to  like  them.  So  she  got  me  to  try 
them,  first  raw,  with  vinegar  and  sugar  and  pepper, 
but  I  could  not  bear  them :  then  she  fixed  them  another 
way,  but  still  I  could  not  eat  them.  One  day  I  came 
home,  and  she  said,  "  I  have  cooked  the  tomatoes  a 
new  way."  Well,  I  tried  them  again,  once  more,  and  I 
thought  they  were  the  best  things  I  ever  tasted.  So 
if  you  take  up  the  Bible  one  way,  and  don't  like  it,  take 
it  up  another  way,  and  keep  trying  until  you  find  a 
way  in  which  it  will  unfold  itself  to  you. 

A  Run  upon  the  Banks.  —  God  wants  you  to  come 
right  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  to  come  boldly.  A 
while  ago  I  learned  from  the  Chicago  papers  that  there 
had  been  a  run  on  the  banks  there,  and  many  of  them 
were  broken.  What  a  good  thing  it  would  be  to  get 
up  a  run  on  the  bank  of  heaven  !  what  a  glorious 
thing  to  get  up  a  run  on  the  throne  of  grace  I 


i*M  ' 


